Gov. Kathy Hochul pledges assistance to Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic after Hurricane Fiona

NEW YORK – Hurricane Fiona pummeled the island of Puerto Rico, leaving behind major damage and more than a million people in the dark. 

The storm is now making its way over the Dominican Republic. 

Earlier Monday, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced assistance New York will be providing, including sending Spanish-speaking police officers to Puerto Rico, and drones to the Dominican Republic to help assess damage. 

As CBS2’s Zinnia Maldonado reports, it’s going to be a long road to recovery. The governor of Puerto Rico is calling Hurricane Fiona catastrophic, as the storm pummeled the island with nearly 30 inches of rainfall in some areas. 

Monday afternoon, about 1.4 million households remained without power – just under half the island. 

Fiona, which struck Puerto Rico as a Category 1 hurricane, made landfall Sunday with torrential downpours and powerful winds, which continued into Monday morning. 

The storm triggered landslides and floods that ripped apart roads and homes. 

A bridge in the town of Utuado broke down and was washed away. It was built by the National Guard after Hurricane Maria hit in 20

Rushing rivers of brown water overtook cars, entire first floors of homes and even an airport runway. Hundreds have been rescued or evacuated so far, and authorities have opened more than 100 shelters across the island. 

“They’re going to struggle. They’re going to struggle a lot, like things are not going to be the same in a while for them,” said Cristina Carrion, who runs a grocery store. 

The storm is over the Dominican Republic. While no hard information is in yet, the National Hurricane Center predicts residents could see mudslides, landslides and flash flooding as Fiona moves through. 

“We will be there for long-term recovery. This is not fixed in a day or week. This takes a comprehensive approach,” Hochul said. “We know how bad this can get. We’ve seen challenges. Nobody works harder. So I’m proud we can be there… assist Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.” 

Officials in Puerto Rico say it will take several days for power to be restored to the entire island.