Some displaced Puerto Ricans living in New York City are calling for a march on Washington D.C. to mark the six-month anniversary of Hurricane Maria.
They hope to pressure Congress and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to swiftly and dramatically increase aid to the island.
Some who are living on federal assistance in hotels in the Bronx and Brooklyn since they left the island in December feel despair at the slow rebuilding process. Some, like Nelliebelle Cordero, 41, said they can't imagine ever going back.
"I cannot go back to Puerto Rico. The hurricane season begins June 1, again. No, I can't. I can't," she said.
Cordero said her home in Arecibo was destroyed in the storm, and since then she's struggled to care for her three children while taking online classes to finish her degree in special education. The experience coupled with the difficulties of caring for her youngest son, who has autism, has left Cordero exhausted and struggling with depression.
"I am tired. You know, I'm tired of everything," Cordero said. "It's hard."
For many people with family still living in Puerto Rico, the approaching hurricane season makes the need for more aid an urgent issue. David Soto lives in New York City, but most of his family still lives on the island. He said he's especially worried about what will happen to his uncle if another hurricane hits while Puerto Rico's power grid is still being repaired.
"He's diabetic. He's been having a lot of problems to get his medication, and he needs the refrigerator to keep all the medication," Soto said.
