Locals with family in Puerto Rico react to Hurricane Maria

Trenton residents with relatives and friends in Puerto Rico expected the worst of news Wednesday as Hurricane Maria pounded the island with torrential rain and 150 miles per hour winds. “I don’t think prayers are going to work this time,” Damaris, a native-born Puerto Rican, said.

Puerto Ricans felt fortunate on Sept. 6 when Hurricane Irma clipped the island although hundreds of thousands of people lost power.

Maria proved volatile as the Category 4 storm engulfed Puerto Rico. Weather watchers called Maria a monster set to deliver flood waters 6-9 feet above sea level.

“I’ve been trying to reach my sister but have not heard from her yet,” Jessica Maldonado, a former city business owner now living in Philadelphia, Pa. said.

Maldonado made an emergency visit to Puerto Rico in early September.

“We landed just ahead of Hurricane Irma. In many areas, people live in wooden houses, some of them with tin or aluminum roofs. There’s almost no way that those homes survived this storm. I feel sorry for all people affected by Hurricane Maria,” Maldonado added.

Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló predicted a weather event much more severe than Irma.

Rosselló implored Puerto Ricans to find safe shelter.

“If you are in a flood zone, your life is in danger. If you are in a wooden house, your life is in danger,” Rosselló warned.

Meanwhile, Telemundo, NBC’s Spanish language network reported dire advice offered by Héctor Pesquera, Puerto Rico’s commissioner of public safety.

“You have to evacuate — otherwise you’re going to die,” Pesquera said.

“As of 2:30 a.m. we count 10,059 refugees and 189 pets (in shelters),” Rosselló, wrote in a tweet

Authorities noted that it’s likely that all residents in shelters will lose their homes.

Puerto Rico still rebounded from damage caused by Irma as Hurricane Maria made landfall around 6:15 on Wednesday.

“I have not been able to reach family members in Puerto Rico. It does not look good but we’re in a waitand-see mode right now. We were relieved when Irma passed although it left a lot of people without power,” Richard Rodriguez, president of the Puerto Rican Association of Trenton, said.

“We know that Puerto Rico will need our help. We expect to have a web page up in the next day or two, informing people how they can help. We will collect money and other items. Let’s wait and see exactly what they’re going to need.”