Puerto Ricans ask: When will the lights come back on?

Four weeks after Hurricane Maria, packing winds of up to 155 miles an hour, knocked out power to the entire island, 80 percent of Puerto Rico still does not have electricity. Some residents have not had power for 45 days — since Hurricane Irma brushed by after Labor Day.

For Mr. Rodríguez, that means using candles for lighting and a gas stove for cooking. He buys ham and cheese sandwiches and coffee for breakfast.

“The water comes and goes, comes and goes, and it’s just a trickle,” he said. All the food he cooks comes out of cans.