Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption 'After nine days of waiting help is here' 
 
 The Governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rossello, says US federal support has surged ahead of President Trump's visit. 
 
 Mr Trump flew in to the US territory for a short visit on Tuesday morning. 
 
 He has fiercely rejected criticism of the relief effort after Hurricane Maria struck the island nearly two weeks ago. 
 
 The governor said over 1.5 million barrels of fuel would reach Puerto Rico in the coming days. 
 
 He said about half of Puerto Rico now had water supplies. 
 
 Federal authorities say more than 10,000 relief workers are now on the ground covering the whole island. 
 
 Seven graphics that sum up Puerto Rico disaster 
 
 Governor Rossello said about a quarter of Puerto Rico would regain power by next month with around 10% of households expected to have electricity in the next two weeks. 
 
 He added that almost half - 47% - of residents had running water and the number would climb to 60% by the end of the week. 
 
 Mobile phone service has been restored to 40% of the population although some areas are still cut off from communication. 
 
 The governor said the most pressing issues were getting diesel fuel to hospitals so they could run generators to provide electricity. 
 
 Around 10 hospitals have power but some have shut down temporarily. 
 
 Image copyright AFP Image caption The US Navy hospital ship Comfort is due to arrive in Puerto Rico in about a day's time 
 
 Mr Rossello explained that the critical issue was how to distribute water, food and medicines to neighbourhoods and towns with many roads impassable or damaged. 
 
 There are still around 8,000 people in around 140 shelters around the island. 
 
 Speaking shortly before he departed for Puerto Rico, US President Donald Trump said: "Now the roads are cleared and communication is starting to come back." 
 
 He added that Carmen Yulin Cruz, the mayor of the island's capital San Juan, had "come back a long way" since he criticised her on Saturday. 
 
 President Trump had posted a series of tweets in which he said Puerto Rican officials showed "poor leadership ability" and "want everything to be done for them". 
 
 Image copyright EPA Image caption Puerto Rican singers Luis Fonsi (L) and Ricky Martin (C) arrived at the international airport of San Juan to deliver humanitarian aid along with other Latin pop stars 
 
 On Monday, Ricardo Rosello greeted at the airport a group of Latin pop music stars led by Puerto Rican singer, Luis Fonsi, known for his global hit "Despacito", who flew to San Juan to deliver humanitarian aid to victim of the hurricane. 
 
 Among the group were Ricky Martin, Chayanne, Gloria and Emilio Estefan and Nicky Jam. 
 
 President Donald Trump has defended his administration's efforts in Puerto Rico, tweeting: "We have done a great job with the almost impossible situation in Puerto Rico. 
 
 "Outside of the Fake news or politically motivated ingrates people are now starting to recognize the amazing work that has been done by FEMA and our great Military." ||||| Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings. 
 
 / Updated By Daniella Silva and Suzanne Gamboa 
 
 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Puerto Ricans remained in survival mode on the eve of President Donald Trump's visit — and many residents were downright exasperated. 
 
 "He's pretty late," Bethsaida Colón said Monday as she waited in a wheelchair in line at the airport, bound for New York. "His general came here eight days late." 
 
 The president and first lady Melania Trump's visit on Tuesday — which will include meeting with survivors, and briefings with senior political figures and military personnel — has been preceded by escalating criticism that his administration has responded too slowly to the hurricane that left virtually all of Puerto Rico without electricity and basic necessities in September. 
 
 "He should have come sooner. What we're living here is a crisis," Michael Garcia, 26, of Mayagüez on the west coast of the island, said in Spanish. 
 
 Garcia, who has two young children, was returning to the island for the first time since the storm hit on Sept. 20 — after being stuck on the mainland while on vacation in Orlando, Florida. 
 
 "I still haven't seen my house and my kids," he said. "I've been worried." 
 
 Garcia said he believed if Trump had come sooner, relief efforts on the island would be further along by now. 
 
 People in the San Juan airport await flights on Monday on the eve of President Donald Trump's visit to Puerto Rico. Suzanne Gamboa / NBC News 
 
 "I hope that he will be able to do something. To help us, send more food, send more people to fix the electricity," he said. 
 
 Only about a quarter of Puerto Rican households are expected to regain power by next month and about half currently have no running water, Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, said at a news conference Monday. 
 
 And cell-phone communication remained an issue, with mobile service returned to only about a third of the island. 
 
 Even in metropolitan San Juan, cell coverage remained spotty in areas and debris from trees and other rubble lined the roads. People would pull over their cars on the shoulder of the highway near the airport in the hopes of getting cell service. 
 
 People wait at the Jose de Diego Elementary School to file FEMA forms for federal aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria on Monday in Las Piedras, Puerto Rico. Carlos Giusti / AP 
 
 Bruce Sparks, 49, on the island from New York, said one benefit of Trump's visit would be that officials would have to clean up San Juan for just him. 
 
 But "it's not going to help all the other" regions, he said. 
 
 "It looks like more could've been done. They could've sent some things earlier," he said. 
 
 Sparks was headed to Cayagues to check in on his mother-in-law. He spoke with her shortly after the storm, but has not heard from her since, he said. Sparks was going to drive to her house and try bring her back to the mainland, he said. 
 
 Jasmin Rivera Woods, 38, hauled 200 pounds of canned food and clothes in her checked luggage when she flew from New York to San Juan on Monday. 
 
 She was ultimately headed to Guayama in the south to check on her aunt, uncle and cousins. She last heard from her aunt on Facebook about a week after hurricane they were surviving on cookies and water they captured in buckets. 
 
 Related: Puerto Rico Governor: A Quarter Of the Island Should Have Power Next Month 
 
 She hoped Trump's visit would be "positive." 
 
 "My concern is that he takes a lot of things personal and he needs to just stay focused and if we get Puerto Rico back on its feet, it's a win on him, no matter who likes him or doesn't like him," Rivera Woods said. 
 
 Some Puerto Ricans hoped Trump would see just how dire conditions are for those who remain. 
 
 "He'll see our needs and that we're going through a very difficult period," Maribel Rodriguez, 53, of the municipality of Hormigueros, said in Spanish. 
 
 "We're leaving our island right now because even the most basic services are paralyzed. Fundamental needs," said Rodriguez from the airport, while waiting in line for a flight to New York with her wheelchair-bound mother. 
 
 "For example, my mom has heart problems and the closest hospital is closed we had to decide to leave our island and leave behind our families," she said. 
 
 People wait in the departures area of the airport on October 2, 2017 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Brock Stoneham / NBC News 
 
 Rodríguez said Hormigueros, which is on the east side of the island "was devastated" by the storm. 
 
 She said she hadn't personally seen a heavy government presence where she lived, from either federal or local officials. 
 
 "We need them to move ... and to bring attention to the island because if not, there might be more illnesses and it'll be more difficult to resolve the problems we have," she said. 
 
 "I think that now that we see that this is affecting all Puerto Ricans, [Trump] should really come so he can live what we have been living," she added. ||||| President Trump's Puerto Rico visit -- live updates 
 
 
 
 
 
 President Trump on Tuesday made his first venture to Puerto Rico to survey the wrath of Hurricane Maria, after touting his administration's efforts there and criticizing local officials for being unprepared for the storm's ramifications. The most memorable points of his trip came -- as the posts below note - when the president joked Puerto Rico was burdening the federal budget, said officials should be "proud" Puerto Rico didn't end in as many lives lost as other storms like Hurricane Katrina, and threw paper towels to storm victims at a church. The president departed Puerto Rico about an hour ahead of time, spending just a few hours on the ground. While there, Mr. Trump praised the federal response to the storm throughout, even as more than 90 percent of the island is without power and as many have no drinking water. 'The job that's been done here is really nothing short of a miracle," Mr. Trump said Tuesday afternoon. Mr. Trump and his administration have been criticized for offering an optimistic view of the federal government's response, while much of the island goes without power or clean drinking water. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke called the response to the disaster a "good news story," to which San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz said, "Dammit, this is not a good news story," but a "'people are dying' story." From there, Mr. Trump spent Saturday waging a Twitter war against Cruz from his private golf club in New Jersey, harping on her for "poor leadership." Cruz will be at a briefing Mr. Trump attends at the Muniz Air National Guard Base. Mr. Trump has also lashed out at "fake news" organizations, saying they are not recognizing the work the Federal Emergency Management Agency or military is doing. Under pressure, the president last week waived the Jones Act for 10 days, easing shipping restrictions to improve the relief effort. The president's trip came as he and his administration also grapple with the devastating mass shooting in Las Vegas that left 59 dead and more than 500 injured, forcing the White House to manage two major crises at once. Follow below for live updates from earlier. 
 
 Trump lands back in D.C. Marine One touched down at 7:33 p.m., according to the White House press pool. 
 
 Trump says he "only heard thank-yous" in Puerto Rico President Trump, speaking to reporters on Air Force One, said he only heard "thank-yous" in Puerto Rico, not any criticism. "They are so thankful for what we've done," Mr. Trump said. Asked if he'd heard any constructive criticism about the federal response to the disaster, he said, "We only heard thank-yous." The president said, "I know the people of Puerto Rico." Leaving Puerto Rico now for D.C. Will be in Las Vegas early tomorrow to pay my respects. Everyone is in my thoughts and prayers. https://t.co/dBvZUIUfr0 — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 3, 2017 
 
 Air Force One takes off early 4:08 p.m. Air Force One is wheels up from Puerto Rico, after being on the island for just a few hours. He departed roughly an hour ahead of schedule, for reasons yet unclear. Mr. Trump spoke briefly with Puerto Rico's governor before boarding. 
 
 San Juan mayor calls meeting with WH staff "productive" San Juan's mayor said the meeting with White House staff was "productive." Notably, she said "staff," not the president. Meeting with WH staff productive. They REALLY understood the disconnect between how things are supposed to happen and how they really happen — Carmen Yulín Cruz (@CarmenYulinCruz) October 3, 2017 Hopefully the newly open channels of communication with WH staff will put in motion what is needed to accomplish our goal: save lives. — Carmen Yulín Cruz (@CarmenYulinCruz) October 3, 2017 
 
 Trump says recovery efforts are "nothing short of a miracle" President Trump, outside the Calvary Chapel church, praised the recovery effort after Hurricane Maria. Mr. Trump again compared Puerto Rico to other storms that have killed far more people, even though, he said, they weren't perhaps as strong. At his side were Puerto Rico's governor and local officials. Mr. Trump, asked about the more than 90 percent of people in Puerto Rico without power, said the federal government is "getting a lot of generators" to Puerto Rico, and most of the hospitals are open. 'The job that's been done here is really nothing short of a miracle," the president said. 
 
 Trump tosses paper towels to storm victims 1:54 p.m. President Trump proceeded to an event at a church with storm victims. The president -- in what the White House press pooler described as a Stephen Curry impersonation -- softly shot paper towels into the crowd. He also held up canned chicken breast for the crowd to see. "There's a lot of love in this room," Mr. Trump said. "Great people." The president also passed out flashlights, with more than 90 percent of the island without power. "Flashlights, you don't need them anymore. You don't need them," he said. President Trump hands out paper towels in Puerto Rico Reuters captured this moment. U.S. President Donald Trump throws rolls of paper towels into a crowd of local residents affected by Hurricane Maria as he visits Calgary Chapel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, U.S., October 3, 2017. JONATHAN ERNST / REUTERS 
 
 Trump compares Puerto Rico to "real catastrophe" Katrina 12:40 p.m. At the briefing, President Trump said officials in Puerto Rico can be "proud" that the death count in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. comparing Puerto Rico's experience to the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. "We've saved a lot of lives," Mr. Trump said. "If you look at the - every death is a horror - but if you look at a real catastrophe like Katrina, and you look at the tremendous - hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people that died. And you look at what happened here with really a storm that was just totally overpowering. Nobody's ever seen anything like this. What is your death count? Sixteen people certified. Sixteen people versus in the thousands. You can be very proud. Sixteen versus literally thousands of people. Everybody around this table and everybody watching can really be proud of what's taken place." 
 
 Trump jokes Puerto Rico is throwing budget "out of whack" 12:06 p.m. Mr. Trump, seated around tables with leaders from Puerto Rico and the federal government, praised the federal response to the storm and Puerto Rico's congresswoman. He thanked Puerto Rico's governor, Ricardo Rossello, for praising him and the federal response to the storm. "He didn't play politics," Mr. Trump said. "He told it like it was, gave us the highest marks." The president expressed how impressed he has been with the response of disaster relief workers to the storm. "I mean, I've never seen people working so hard in my life," Mr. Trump said. Mr. Trump said some men and women have worked tirelessly, not only in the wake of Hurricane Maria, but also in the wake of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma. After introducing Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, Mr. Trump mentioned the effect Hurricane Maria is having on the federal budget. "Mick Mulvaney is here - uh, right there," Mr. Trump said, pointing to Mulvaney. "And Mick is in charge of a thing called budget. Now, I hate to tell you, Puerto Rico, but you've thrown our budget a little out of whack because we've spent a lot of money on Puerto Rico, and that's fine." The president's social media director tweeted out this photo: .@POTUS' @realDonaldTrump has arrived in #PuertoRico. Speaking and briefing underway now. #PRStrong🇵🇷 pic.twitter.com/G2HWIOW3Au — Dan Scavino Jr. (@Scavino45) October 3, 2017 
 
 USNS Comfort arrives in Puerto Rico 11:58 a.m. The USNS Comfort, the "floating hospital" ship designed to treat hundreds of Puerto Ricans facing medical crises, arrives in Puerto Rico about the same time as the president does. The USNS Comfort is equipped with sufficient medical supplies for at least 30 days, and could restock later. Some of that equipment includes a catscan unit, dental suite, laboratory, pharmacy, four X-ray machines and 12 operating rooms. On board are more than 800 service members and 70 civil service mariners, and the ship is capable of taking in up to 200 patients a day, with 250 beds for this particular mission.
– President Trump is planning to meet hurricane victims as well as officials and first responders when he visits Puerto Rico on Tuesday—but not everybody will be happy to see him. The AP spoke to residents angry about the president's description of some officials as "ingrates" who "want everything to be done for them." "He makes a fool out of himself and a fool out of his country," says linguist Rachel Cruz. She says most struggling Puerto Ricans feel the same way but they are unlikely to insult Trump because they still need his help. School principal Nancy Rivera says people appreciate the aid that has been received, but "his comments are not true." 'We don't deserve that," she says. Other residents say they wish Trump had come sooner and they hope federal aid will be stepped up when he sees the devastation left by Hurricane Maria for himself, NBC News reports. Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello says aid already surged in the days before Trump's visit, the BBC reports. He says around half the island's 3.4 million people now have running water, and 10% of residents will have power restored within the next two weeks. Federal officials say there are now 10,000 relief workers on the island. The White House says the president and First Lady Melania Trump will meet Rossello and other officials after receiving a briefing on relief efforts and meeting residents impacted by the hurricane.