Philadelphia's Puerto Rican community reacts to devastation in Puerto Rico

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) - While Puerto Rico deals with the aftermath of Maria, Philadelphia's Puerto Rican community is worried sick.

Wednesday was a busy lunch time at El Coqui in the Harrowgate Plaza in Philadelphia.

But as customers line up for their midday snacks, owner Cesar Guzman's thoughts are on family members 1600 miles away and in grave danger on the battered island of Puerto Rico.

"Very nervous about what is going on," says Guzman. "No electricity, no water, a lot of debris from the previous hurricane."

Two weeks after Hurricane Irma smashed over and through Puerto Rico, the U.S. territory is, this time, directly in the crosshairs of Maria, with winds topping 160 mph and 20 inches of rain lashing the already fragile island.

Philadelphia's Puerto Rican population is estimated at more than 130,000, second largest to New York City, outside the island itself.

At 5th and Lehigh, where, if you didn't know better, you would swear you were IN Puerto Rico, Joseph Pedro helps sell souvenirs from his homeland; flags and T-shirts. He feels like he's in the dark.

"I have been trying to get in contact with my grandmother and the phone service is out due to the hurricane," says Pedro.

He says he has no idea how she's doing.

That sentiment was repeated throughout the Puerto Rican community here.

With the storm knocking out utilities-- including cell towers-- communication to the island has been all but silenced.

Ginger Izaguirre spoke to her sister Tuesday night, but now, nothing.

"I wish I can-- just to find out she's alive," says Izaguirre. "We don't care what happens to her house."

Family members sent a Facebook video to Sonia.

The footage shows two teenaged boys roaming streets on the island, up to their waists in muddy, brown floodwaters.

But they are not her biggest concern.

Fighting back tears, she explained, "I don't know what happened to my father."