As storm bears down on Turks and Caicos, Chicagoans seek to help Puerto Rico hurricane victims
What's going on in Puerto Rico? Hurricane that hit US territory knocked out power
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Hurricane Fiona is gaining strength as it heads for the Turks and Caicos Islands.
It's now a Category 3 storm.
At the same time, local efforts are underway to help the people of Puerto Rico.
The "Puerto Rican Agenda of Chicago" is holding a news conference at 11 a.m. in Humboldt Park to discuss current aid efforts to help people impacted by Hurricane Fiona.
The entire island has lost power, as the hurricane brings violent winds, heavy rain, catastrophic flooding and landslides.
It will take days to get the power back up, while devastation hits Puerto Rico once again.
One former Chicagoan is in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico right now.
"So much rain, it yanked trees from the ground up because the ground was saturated with water. Once the food is out, and the water is out, people are gonna be in big need," Efrain Ortiz said.
In 2017, Hurricane Maria hit the island. The Category 4 storm destroyed Puerto Rico's power grid and caused nearly 3,000 deaths.
Five years later, thousands of people still live in damaged homes covered in blue tarps.
