Photo: Jonathan Drake
With part of the U.S. under severe hurricane threat not too long ago, it's easy to forget that others have had it even worse, and Puerto Rico is a prime example.
The small Carribean country found itself in the way of Hurricane Maria, and even though the high winds and rainfalls have passed, what they left behind bears very little resemblance to what a civilized country should look like.
The most basic infrastructure elements are down, including roads and power lines, which means thousands of Puerto Ricans are stranded in their own homes, or what they used to call that. Humanitarian efforts are underway, but they can't reach those in need fast enough, and with threats of more precipitation to come during this weekend, the situation could aggravate even further.
International organizations such as UNICEF or United for Puerto Rico as well as governments are caught up in the relief operations, but the severity of the hurricane's fallout is hard to imagine despite the very telling images.
One of them that made the rounds on the Internet this week showed a family that had written "Send Tesla" out of the rubble and debris that was left of their house next to the small tent they likely used for shelter now. The apocalyptic scene was completed by the fallen leafless trees framing the area.
With the power grid down and the prognosis on when it would become operational not looking favorable, Tesla's Powerwall energy storage systems coupled with solar installations could indeed provide a lot of people with the much-needed electricity.
After remotely extending the range of its clients' vehicles from Florida in the wake of Hurricane Irma, Tesla is now upping the ante even further by sending hundreds of Powerwall units to Puerto Rico, Bloomberg reports. Elon Musk is also said to have personally donated $250,000 to the relief funds used to send food and supplies to the affected areas.
The most basic infrastructure elements are down, including roads and power lines, which means thousands of Puerto Ricans are stranded in their own homes, or what they used to call that. Humanitarian efforts are underway, but they can't reach those in need fast enough, and with threats of more precipitation to come during this weekend, the situation could aggravate even further.
International organizations such as UNICEF or United for Puerto Rico as well as governments are caught up in the relief operations, but the severity of the hurricane's fallout is hard to imagine despite the very telling images.
One of them that made the rounds on the Internet this week showed a family that had written "Send Tesla" out of the rubble and debris that was left of their house next to the small tent they likely used for shelter now. The apocalyptic scene was completed by the fallen leafless trees framing the area.
With the power grid down and the prognosis on when it would become operational not looking favorable, Tesla's Powerwall energy storage systems coupled with solar installations could indeed provide a lot of people with the much-needed electricity.
After remotely extending the range of its clients' vehicles from Florida in the wake of Hurricane Irma, Tesla is now upping the ante even further by sending hundreds of Powerwall units to Puerto Rico, Bloomberg reports. Elon Musk is also said to have personally donated $250,000 to the relief funds used to send food and supplies to the affected areas.
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