Hurricane Irma devastates Puerto Rico, 70 percent without electricity

Puerto Rico is in the early stages of its emergency response Thursday after Category 5 Hurricane Irma swept over the entire side of the island Wednesday evening and left 1.1 million without power for what could be months.

“The hurricane has passed. Now we are in an emergency situation, making sure that everyone is safe. We are assessing the levels of damage, and the need for recovery and assistance,” Puerto Rican Gov. Ricardo Rossello told the Washington Examiner in a statement Thursday.