Chaotic moments in San Juan airport as people attempt to flee island

Hurricane Maria caused damage to airport; island without power

SAN JUAN – It was a chaotic scene Friday at the airport in San Juan, where there are limited commercial flights off the island.

There was water and structural damage inside the terminal from Hurricane Maria. Windows were shattered and there was no power at the airport.

Meanwhile, the staff was doing its to process travelers. Many are trying to get to the mainland just to let family members know they survived the storm.

"You can't text, you can't call you can't nothing," a passenger said.

In Puerto Rico the entire island of more than 3 million people, are still without power are 155 mph winds ripped out power poles.

That, plus nearly 30 inches of rain, caused catastrophic damage.

"We need diesel for the generator, we need light, we need water," Maria Ortiz, who runs a nursing home, said.

Ortiz said her facility runs on a generator, and at the moment, her patients are frail and dehydrated.

"We can't let them die," she said. "We can't let them die."