A Puerto Rican family is staying with friends on Staten Island, almost a month after Hurricane Maria devastated their hometown. NY1's Lindsay Tuchman spoke to the family, who says people in Puerto Rico are still reeling from the disaster.

Marielaida Moya and her three children are living with family friends in Graniteville after riding out Hurricane Maria. 

The storm destroyed their hometown of Arecibo, Puerto Rico.

"It was something crazy. I had never seen the sky the way that I saw it, I tell you, and I literally come to tears because it was very, very hard,” said Moya. "After eight o'clock, nothing was the same."

Moya has two older children as well as an 18-month-old baby boy.

She said she's been trying to leave the island since the hurricane struck on September 20, and just this Tuesday she was able to get a flight out. Her husband stayed behind to work.

"We're still without electricity, we're still without water, food is very limited, gas is the same way," she said. "It's devastating."

Moya's friend Barbara Soto is also from Puerto Rico. Besides housing the Moyas, she has been helping coordinate efforts to get donations sent to the island.

She said Staten Islanders have donated much-needed items such as batteries, baby products, and canned food.

"I'm devastated, devastated. I wish I could help every single person over there," said Soto. "I'm desperate to know more. I wish we could speak to more people over there."

Moya said she appreciates the work the federal government has done to help, but says it's not nearly enough.

Many are still without electricity, almost a month after the hurricane hit.

"I remember I went four to five days without just having a cold water," said Moya. "When it comes to us having need or asking for help, well then, we're a burden, we're unwanted, we make a hole in their budget, so yeah, I get sad because of that."

Moya doesn't have a return flight booked. She said she plans to stay on Staten Island until she feels it's safe for her family to return to Puerto Rico.

"We have a lot of people suffering, we have a lot of people dying, we have a lot of people lacking," she said. "Money doesn't even have a worth anymore."

So for now, Moya and Soto plan to send anything they can to those back home, and remind people here that the suffering isn't over.