Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico Declares State Of Emergency After Quake Rocks Residents Awake

4:59pm January 07, 2020

"We have not been exposed to this kind of emergency in 102 years," Gov. Wanda Vázquez says. The 6.4 magnitude quake left at least one person dead and knocked out most of the island's power.

Sandra King Young runs Medicaid in American Samoa, a U.S. territory that faces dramatic funding cuts to islanders' health care unless Congress acts. "This is the United States' shame in the islands," she says.

Health & Safety

America's 'Shame': Medicaid Funding Slashed In U.S. Territories

5:01am November 20, 2019

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

Five U.S. territories say if Congress doesn't quickly allocate more funding for their Medicaid programs, they will be forced to make brutal triage decisions that will likely cost American lives.

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From left, José Yadiel Torres, 10, Lizmary Rivera, 29, José Torres, 38, and twins Janniela and Jamiléth Torres, 9, pose for a family portrait in their house in Utuado. The rooster, the family's most prized bird, is named Matatoro.

In Puerto Rico, The Days Of Legal Cockfighting Are Numbered

9:15am October 23, 2019

by Adrian Florido

A congressional ban on the sport was a victory for animal rights activists, but on the island, many say that cockfighting is part of their culture — and they're willing to take the sport underground.

Houses from a seaside neighborhood are seen as Tropical Storm Karen approaches.

Tropical Storm Karen's Squalls Hit Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands

10:58pm September 24, 2019

by Paolo Zialcita

The storm prompted the National Hurricane Center to issue warnings for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the British Virgin Islands.

Hurricane Dorian has now left the Caribbean Sea and is predicted to intensify rapidly as it crosses the Atlantic on the way to Florida's central east coast.

Hurricane Dorian Expected To Hit Florida Coast With 130 MPH Winds On Labor Day

8:05am August 30, 2019

by Bill Chappell

"There is an increasing likelihood of life-threatening storm surge along portions of the Florida east coast" on Labor Day weekend, the National Hurricane Center says.

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Florida Governor Declares State Of Emergency As Hurricane Dorian Gains Force

11:33pm August 28, 2019

by Bill Chappell

In the next four days, Dorian's winds could top 115 mph — making it a Category 3 storm — the National Hurricane Center says.

Dorian is expected to be at or near hurricane strength when it passes by Puerto Rico. It is likely to bring rain to the Bahamas and Florida over the weekend.

Tropical Storm Dorian Puts Puerto Rico On Hurricane Watch; Florida Also In Path

11:13pm August 27, 2019

by Bill Chappell

The longer-range forecast calls for Dorian to reach Florida over the weekend.

A satellite image taken Monday shows Tropical Storm Dorian heading westward toward the Caribbean Sea. The storm could become Hurricane Dorian by late Tuesday, forecasters say.

Tropical Storm Dorian Menaces Barbados, Could Become A Hurricane Tuesday

3:40pm August 26, 2019

by Bill Chappell

Tropical Storm Dorian "is expected to be a hurricane when it moves near Puerto Rico and eastern Hispaniola" this week, the National Hurricane Center says.

Carmen Chevere says living through Hurricane Maria has left her anxious and fearful.

National

Mental Health Toll Of Hurricane Maria Still Palpable In Puerto Rico

10:58am August 22, 2019

More than 3 million Puerto Ricans saw their communities — and families — devastated by the deadly Category 4 hurricane. Many residents are still emotionally fragile.

Afternoon traffic passes in front of a mural depicting the U.S. and Guam flags in the Tumon district on the island of Guam.

Citizenship Question To Be Removed From 2020 Census In U.S. Territories

4:23pm August 09, 2019

by Hansi Lo Wang

After courts permanently blocked the question from the 2020 count, the Census Bureau revealed plans to change forms for American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands.