Puerto Rico Issues State Of Emergency Ahead of Dorian as Residents Begin To Panic

Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vazquez Garced issued a state of emergency Monday as residents panic ahead of Tropical Storm Dorian.

People are “going bananas” as Puerto Rico braces for the storm, a resident said, ABC Action News reported.

Garced also signed an order that freezes prices, including fuel, according to Bloomberg’s Michael Deibert. Dorian could strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane as it heads toward land, according to National Hurricane Center forecasts.

“Of course, everybody is going crazy,” Zaida Garcia said to ABC Action News from the island. “Everybody’s just running here and running there, and we don’t even know if it’s getting here, yet, but everybody’s going bananas, everybody’s going crazy.”

The state of emergency will allow Puerto Rico’s National Guard to help out with effects of the storm, Axios reported. Residents have been stockpiling food and other supplies, according to CBS correspondent David Begnaud.

Puerto Rico is still recovering from 2017 Hurricane Maria and declared bankruptcy following the hurricane.

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“It’s going to be two years and there’s still people that don’t have a house, yet. They don’t even have water, yet, and they don’t have light for two years,” Garcia said. “We’re praying to God and we’re hoping it will just go away. We can’t afford another one, I’m telling you. We can’t afford another one.”