Correspondent in tears over Fiona damage 3:34
(CNN) --
More than a million people in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic woke up again Thursday without power after Hurricane Fiona wreaked havoc on critical infrastructure earlier this week, also leaving some residents without running water. as the category 4 hurricane approaches Bermuda.
The hurricane has left at least five dead across the Caribbean, including one in Guadeloupe, two in Puerto Rico and two in the Dominican Republic.
And many residents are now suffering in the aftermath of what became the first major hurricane of this year's Atlantic season.
🌀Hurricane Fiona track live: where is it headed?
“This was something incredible that we had never seen before,” Ramona Santana told CNN en Español in Higüey, Dominican Republic.
“We are on the streets with nothing, no food, no shoes, no clothes, just what you are wearing,” Santana said.
"We have nothing.
We have God and hope that help will come.”
In Puerto Rico, where Fiona caused torrential rain and an island-wide blackout when it made landfall on Sunday, more than a million homes and businesses were still without power on Wednesday, according to the government's emergency portal system.
Cars drive under a downed power pole after Hurricane Fiona hit Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico, on Wednesday.
Additionally, more than 450,000 people across the island were without water service or experiencing intermittent service as of Wednesday night, according to the website.
advertising
In the Dominican Republic, where Fiona made landfall early Monday, nearly 350,000 homes and businesses were left in the dark Wednesday, according to Maj. Gen. Juan MĂ©ndez GarcĂa, director of the country's emergency operations center.
And there was no running water for more than a million customers, he said.
More than 600 homes were destroyed and some communities left without help due to the storm, Garcia said.
When Fiona hit the Dominican Republic in the middle of the night on Monday, Iverice Viera said she was waist-deep in water as she rushed to wake up her neighbors in HigĂĽey.
Now he is trying to dry his belongings.
"The rooms are empty, I had to throw a lot, there is no electricity or water to wash anything," Viera told CNN en Español.
How you can help the victims of Hurricane Fiona
Puerto Rico is making progress on the aid front: President Joe Biden approved a major disaster declaration for the US territory on Wednesday, FEMA said.
The measure allows residents to access grants for temporary housing and home repairs, as well as low-interest loans to cover uninsured property losses.
“This ensures that our people will have access to additional help from FEMA to recover from the damage caused by this event,” Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi said in a tweet.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams deployed a team of representatives from various city agencies to Puerto Rico to help officials survey the damage.
"The team will include representatives from the New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM), the New York City Department of Buildings, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, and the New York City Department of Design and Construction. New York City," according to a statement from the mayor's office.
Look at the damage left by Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico 0:44
Fiona approaches Bermuda
Packing sustained winds of 130 miles per hour in the early hours of Thursday, Fiona was located about 600 miles southwest of Bermuda and more than 1,200 miles south-southwest of Nova Scotia, Canada, according to CNN meteorologist Robert Shackelford.
The center of the storm is expected to pass just west of Bermuda early Friday.
"The National Hurricane Center is confident that Bermuda will experience tropical storm force winds. Once Fiona passes Bermuda, the storm is forecast to impact Nova Scotia on Saturday afternoon," Shackelford said.
Nova Scotia officials held a news conference Wednesday to warn residents of the impact they could face this weekend.
Jason Mew, director of the office of emergency management, said residents should prepare by securing outdoor items, trimming trees, charging cell phones and creating an emergency kit.
Mew added that the shelters will be open to house the homeless and anyone else in need.
Meanwhile, US officials have issued a travel advisory, warning Americans not to go to Bermuda when Fiona approaches.
The State Department also authorized family members of US government personnel to leave Bermuda due to the impending storm.
The Bermuda archipelago is currently under a tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch because hurricane-force winds could extend 72 kilometers from the center and tropical-storm-force winds could extend up to 313 kilometers, Shackelford said.
Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin ask for help for victims of Hurricane Fiona 1:26
The Turks and Caicos Islands also experienced power outages
After Hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, it also affected parts of the Turks and Caicos Islands on Tuesday.
Many areas in Turks and Caicos were still without power Wednesday, according to Anya Williams, the islands' acting governor.
Officials there said they were relieved no one was killed in the storm as they began visiting various islands and making repairs.
Meanwhile, in Puerto Rico, authorities have faced setbacks in restoring power to the island.
Many lines that were believed to have been repaired were temporarily disconnected due to various problems with the equipment, Josué Colón, executive director of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, said Wednesday.
The repairs are taking place almost exactly five years after Hurricane Maria plunged the island into a prolonged blackout in 2017.
Across the island, more than 800 people were housed in dozens of shelters on Wednesday, according to Puerto Rico Housing Secretary William RodrĂguez.
Melissa Alonso, Jessica Hasbun, Jorge Venegas, Amy Simonson, Chris Boyette and CNN's Jamiel Lynch contributed to this report.
Hurricane Fiona