Hurricane Maria left a path of death and destruction in Puerto Rico. At least 64 people died because of the storm, according to official statistics, though independent investigations suggest that number could be as high as 1,000. It also initiated a new exodus of Puerto Ricans to the United States. With a U.S. passport in hand, tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans showed up to airports and ports around the island with the intention of leaving, uncertain how long they’d be gone. Would it be temporary or permanent? Only time would tell. But many of those who stayed did so to help the country get back on its feet. These are some of their stories.

The United States Virgin Islands suffered two Category 5 hurricanes within two weeks: Irma battered Saint John and Saint Thomas, while Maria devastated St. Croix. The storms left many of the islands’ residents feeling forgotten by the United States. In Saint John, the community has banded together to help each other, from free Wi-Fi networks to groups that travel around the island to find out what neighbors need.

Hurricane Irma hit the small Dutch-French island of Saint Martin on September 6, destroying homes, boats, businesses and vegetation. It also taught the island a lesson: that houses should have concrete roofs. These two Venezuelan architects tell Univision how the hurricane will affect building codes going forward.

The most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic left more than 1,600 climate refugees when the entire population of Barbuda had to be evacuated to neighboring Antigua. But for many, what came next was even worse. The government has threatened to take advantage of reconstruction efforts to commercialize communal lands. Until now, they’d been handed down through generations.

Hurricane Maria didn’t spare anyone on the island of Dominica--even prime minister Roosevelt Skerrit lost his roof during the storm. Weeks later, the entire island remained in a fragile state. Here, one family describes their day-to-day life since the hurricane.

We visited areas of the Caribbean and Florida battered by Irma and Maria. There, people told us how they’re preparing to confront a future marked by climate change, where storms may be more frequent and more powerful.