Puerto Rico absorbed a direct hit from Hurricane Maria, knocking out power to all of the 3.5 million people who live there and making communication for family and friends challenging.
Bay Area residents are on edge waiting to hear from family members in Puerto Rico.
"I feel like that was the only thing keeping me attached to the island since I couldn't reach anyone in Puerto Rico, and it was really important for me to stay up and just feel connected that way," said Miguel Miranda, a San Francisco resident who is unable to get in contact with his family in Puerto Rico.
Miranda is awaiting word from one of his brothers, Javier, his uncle, Candido, and countless other loved ones who cannot reach him as cell service is down and the electrical grid is out. His family is largely in Ponce and Caguas.
At least one San Francisco man, Mason Bellber, has reached loved ones in the capital of San Juan, largely because they have been able to charge their phones in a car.
"It's pretty nerve-wracking. I mean especially considering this is the third or fourth storm to go through the Caribbean in the last couple of weeks," Bellber said. "Luckily I was in communication with my family so I wasn't too nervous."
The last time Puerto Rico was hit by a hurricane as strong as Maria was 1928. In that case, several hundred people died.
