Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico seven years ago today, leaving a lasting impact on the island and its residents. It's hard to believe it's been seven years since this, the strongest hurricane to hit Puerto Rico since the 1930s,

Puerto Rico is still recovering from Hurricane Maria -- nearly seven years after the powerful Category 4 storm caused extensive damage to the island's already delicate infrastructure. September marks National Preparedness Month and the start of Hispanic Heritage Month -- stark reminders of the work that remains to be done on the island,

In 2017, Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm. The storm left the entire island without power and nearly 3,000 people dead over the next several months.