Plunged into darkness: Satellite images reveal the extent of Puerto Rico's power outages caused by Hurricane Maria as San Juan airport finally reopens for limited flights

  • Images show how vastly different Puerto Rico's power supply was on July 24 compared to Monday
  • Hurricane Maria wreaked havoc on the island and plunged millions into darkness last week when it struck
  • Most of Puerto Rico has been without lights or air conditioning since Maria made landfall 
  • More than 3.4 million US citizens still lack adequate food, water and fuel 
  • San Juan's airport is finally up and running with nearly 100 arrivals and departures daily, including military and relief operations 

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These satellite images show just how massive the power outages are in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria wreaked havoc on the island and plunged millions into darkness. 

The images, from a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite, show how vastly different the power supply was on July 24 compared to Monday. 

San Juan and other cities barely have any light, while the island of Vieques is covered in complete darkness.

The images, from a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite, show how vastly different the power supply was on July 24 (pictured) compared to Monday
Pictured on July 24
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The images, from a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite, show how vastly different the power supply was on July 24 compared to Monday

Most of Puerto Rico has been without lights or air conditioning since Maria wiped out generators when it made landfall last Wednesday. 

More than 3.4 million US citizens still lack adequate food, water and fuel five days after Maria pounded the island as a Category 4 hurricane.

San Juan's airport is finally up and running with nearly 100 arrivals and departures daily, including military and relief operations as well as more than a dozen commercial passenger flights.

The Federal Aviation Administration is taking reservations for arrival and departure slots to manage space at the airport and safely separate aircraft in the air.

Maria destroyed or disabled a number of essential radar, navigation and communication systems, so the FAA has been bringing in replacements by air and sea, and technicians are working now to get them working.  

Yancy Leon who has been waiting in line for two days to get an American Airlines flight out of the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport continues to wait as she tries to escape the conditions after Hurricane Maria

Yancy Leon who has been waiting in line for two days to get an American Airlines flight out of the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport continues to wait as she tries to escape the conditions after Hurricane Maria

Personnel of an airline work on the floor as a passenger tries to get a ticket to leave the island at International Airport Luis Munoz Marin in Carolina, near San Juan, Puerto Rico

Personnel of an airline work on the floor as a passenger tries to get a ticket to leave the island at International Airport Luis Munoz Marin in Carolina, near San Juan, Puerto Rico

Nearly one week after hurricane Maria devastated the island of Puerto Rico, residents are still trying to get the basics of food, water, gas, and money from banks

Nearly one week after hurricane Maria devastated the island of Puerto Rico, residents are still trying to get the basics of food, water, gas, and money from banks

People sit in their apartment on Monday after the window was blown out by the winds of Hurricane Maria as it passed through San Juan, Puerto Rico

People sit in their apartment on Monday after the window was blown out by the winds of Hurricane Maria as it passed through San Juan, Puerto Rico

Maria left widespread damage across Puerto Rico, with virtually the whole island without power or cell service and many streets still flooded

Maria left widespread damage across Puerto Rico, with virtually the whole island without power or cell service and many streets still flooded

Damaged homes and vegetation during the passage of Hurricane Maria, are viewed on a mountain  southwest of San Juan

Damaged homes and vegetation during the passage of Hurricane Maria, are viewed on a mountain southwest of San Juan

President Trump said his administration was 'doing a great job' contending with the devastation in Puerto Rico and that he would visit the island next week

President Trump said his administration was 'doing a great job' contending with the devastation in Puerto Rico and that he would visit the island next week

Hundreds of stranded tourists and Puerto Ricans had filled the sweltering halls of San Juan International Airport on Monday anxious for a seat on one of the few flights out. 

Some waiting in the sweltering terminals said they had been stranded for days with limited food and no water. 

It was revealed on Tuesday that the federal government will pick up 100 per cent of the costs of debris removal and other emergency assistance to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.

President Donald Trump made the change Tuesday as part of an amendment to his earlier disaster declaration authorizing federal aid. US states and territories typically cover 25 per cent of the costs, with the federal government paying the remaining 75 per cent. 

But the island's government is so strapped for cash that Puerto Rican officials and sympathetic members of Congress had called on Trump to waive the cost-sharing requirement.

Trump's declaration covers the removal of downed trees, utility poles and other debris, as well as spending for emergency measures to protect lives and public health and safety.  

National Guardsmen arrive Sunday at Barrio Obrero in Santurce to distribute water and food among those affected by Maria

National Guardsmen arrive Sunday at Barrio Obrero in Santurce to distribute water and food among those affected by Maria

A house destroyed by hurricane winds is seen in Corozal, west of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The scale of destruction is just now emerging as 95 per cent of the island remains without cell phone service

A house destroyed by hurricane winds is seen in Corozal, west of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The scale of destruction is just now emerging as 95 per cent of the island remains without cell phone service

A line of cars is seen waiting for gas as they deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria on September 25 in Bayamon

A line of cars is seen waiting for gas as they deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria on September 25 in Bayamon

Pictured is the damage on a street of homes in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico. The photo was taken on September 25

Pictured is the damage on a street of homes in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico. The photo was taken on September 25

Jose Garcia Vicente walks through rubble of his destroyed home, in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, in Aibonito, Puerto Rico

Jose Garcia Vicente walks through rubble of his destroyed home, in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, in Aibonito, Puerto Rico

Maria's top sustained winds dropped Tuesday to near 75 mph, and the National Hurricane Center expected it to weaken into a tropical storm by Tuesday night or Wednesday. 

Thousands of visitors abandoned their beach vacations and evacuated North Carolina's Outer Banks on Tuesday as a weakening Hurricane Maria moved northward in the Atlantic, churning up surf and possible flooding.

The center remained far offshore, centered about 175 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and moving north at 7 mph. Still, a tropical storm warning was in effect for the North Carolina coast from Bogue Inlet to the Virginia border, and meteorologists said a storm surge could hit from Ocracoke Inlet to Cape Hatteras.

Hurricane Lee, meanwhile, was gradually strengthening far off in the open Atlantic, where it was expected to swing north and east again before tropical storm-force winds reach Bermuda. 

Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello said he spoke with President Donald Trump Monday night, and would speak with him again later Tuesday to discuss 'a long-term recovery package for Puerto Rico to be presented to Congress,' apparently next week.