Puerto Rico Waits for Aid as Millions Suffer

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Hurricane Maria, the most powerful storm in nearly a century, has left the already economically bankrupt island of Puerto Rico in ruins. There is zero power for its 3.4 million residents, flash flood warnings remain in effect, and 80 percent of the island's agriculture has been lost, and homes remain destroyed. The island is cut off from the rest of the world, as millions remain without electricity. 

On Sunday night, Puerto Rico’s governor, Ricardo Rossello, asked for more federal support as the panic and need for food, water, and aid rise. National Guard, Navy, and Marine Corps service members have deployed to aid Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and on Monday, Senator Marco Rubio and representatives from FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security visited Puerto Rico to assess damage.

David Begnaud, a CBS News Correspondent, has been on the ground in San Juan and explains how the island is coping. 

As clean up continues in Puerto Rico, the territory’s already-fragile economy will be placed further under strain. Puerto Rico has suffocated under $123 billion in debt and pension obligations, and the economy has been in a recession since 2006. The poverty rate already stands at more than 40 percent, with 10 percent unemployment.

Justin Vélez-Hagan, founder and executive director of the National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce, discusses the economic challenges facing the U.S. territory.

This segment is hosted by Todd Zwillich.