Puerto Ricans feel like 'second-class citizens,' says Montrealer stuck on island

Patrick-Andr Mather, who is originally from Montreal but has been living in Puerto Rico for the past 13 years, was in his concreteapartment building as it swayed in the 280 km/h winds last week when the power went out.

Matherwas holed up in his apartment in the Condado neighbourhood of the U.S. territory's capital of San Juan, watching television news as it tracked Hurricane Maria's path live through the island.

"As soon as we realized it was a direct hit on San Juan,the power went out and we just turned the radio on and we stayed in the bedroom," Mather said on CBC Montreal'sDaybreakThursday morning. "It was terrifying."

"Iwasn't worried about my life, but I was worried about the aftermath."

The devastation is so widespread everyday life has all but come to a stop on the island, where the storm knocked the power grid out, leaving its roughly three million residents, most of them American citizens, without electricity for months to come.

Mather'sseven-storey building was built to withstand hurricanes and was still swinging in the wind, but thousands of homes on the island were decimated and at least 16 people were killed.

Communications have been spotty, as well, with 80 per cent of cell towers down, making it difficult for thousands to reach loved ones. Mather's line cut in and out throughout his interview on Daybreak.

• Puerto Rico governor calls for aid to avoid humanitarian crisis

The University of Puerto Rico, where Mather is a professor of French and linguistics, is closed and will be at least until November.

"And that'll be if we're lucky," he said. "It's not looking good."

With no work and little resources,Matherhas been trying to leave the island, but the airport is operating at 10 per centcapacity and all of the flights he's booked to mainland U.S.the only place planes are flying to have been cancelled.

Puerto Ricans feel like 'second-class citizens'

The U.S. government's response has been widely criticized for being slow and inadequate, particularly when compared with recent relief efforts on U.S. mainland in Texas and Florida.

• 'This doesn't feel like a first-class response': Puerto Ricans slam Trump's claim of 'amazing' aid after Maria

Mathercondemns President Donald Trump's decision not to waive the Jones Act which requires all cargo ships between U.S. ports to be built and staffed by Americans a move many say limits the amount of aid that can reach the island.

"He's putting the American shipping industry over lives of American citizens," Mathersaid, adding many Puerto Ricans feels like "second-class citizens" as a result of the lack of action.

'It's a man-made disaster'

Hurricane Maria was the second hurricane to hit Puerto Rico in two weeks. The first, Hurricane Irma, clipped the island, while Maria hit it with full force.

Trump is set to visit Puerto Rico next week, but Mathersays "his trips are usually self-congratulatory." He hopes the media attention brought by the visit will force the government to do more.

"This is not a natural disaster, it's a man-made disaster," caused by shortfalls in government resources before and after the hurricane, said Mather.

• Trump to visit devastated Puerto Rico, says he wasn't 'preoccupied' with NFL