Puerto Rico earthquake: Roughly two-thirds of island without power amid dozens of aftershocks

While this post is not focused on persecution specifically like this blog is designed to do, I do believe keeping an eye on people who are suffering in other countries.

Guanica, Puerto Rico (CNN)Roughly two-thirds of Puerto Rico remains without electricity, many still don't have water and frightened residents were staying outside as a series of aftershocks rocked the island following a magnitude 6.4 earthquake.

The quake was the strongest and likely the most damaging of hundreds of temblors that have struck the island since December 28. It hit before dawn Tuesday, leaving a man dead and causing dozens of homes and structures to crumble.

It was centered off Puerto Rico's southern coast, 6 miles south of Indios. Gov. Wanda Vázquez Garced declared a state of emergency and activated the Puerto Rico National Guard as she pleaded with residents to remain calm and prepare for aftershocks.

Terrified of sleeping indoors as aftershocks continue, neighbors put mattresses in their front yards while others spent the night Tuesday under white tents and tarps.

Noelia de Jesus has been sleeping at an outdoors shelter with her granddaughters, terrified of returning to her Guanica home.

"I've been crying ever since it happened," de Jesus told CNN. "Everything is broken...the house is leaning to the right. If another (earthquake) comes, it's going to go down."

It's the third time that a natural disaster leaves her without a place to live. Like her, many Puerto Ricans lost their homes when Hurricane Maria hit the island two years ago and Hurricane George struck in 1998.

Guanica Mayor Santos Seda said about 50 homes were destroyed by the earthquake and at least 100 more were "about to collapse" on Wednesday.

Hundreds of aftershocks have hit the area in the past few days. As of Wednesday afternoon, the island in just 24 hours had experienced about 50 seismic events of magnitude 2.5 or higher, the US Geological Survey said.

A 4.7 earthquake was reported Wednesday afternoon off the southern coast of the island, about 8 miles southeast of Tallaboa, USGS said. The National Weather Service office in San Juan said there was no tsunami threat(Keep reading).

Having experienced days without electrical power in my home, I know what these people are going through and I hope that after a week has passed (this took place on the 8th of January) the people in Puerto Rico have gotten their power back. 

I also hope that this tragedy causes people to 1) to come to know Christ as Lord and King or 2) grow closer to Christ if they already know Him as Lord and King.