FEMA is 'officially shutting off' hurricane aid to Puerto Rico - but the US territory is still devastated

The lights are still out for nearly half a million Puerto Ricans.

After Hurricane Maria struck the US territory on September 20, a crippling blackout descended over its 3.4 million residents, cutting communication between loved ones, spoiling food and life-saving medications, and nixing access to banks and clean water.

The death toll, initially estimated at 64, is now thought to be at least 1,000, according to a recent New York Times analysis. Yet FEMA announced that aid to the US territory will end on January 31.

Nearly four months after the storm, more than 450,000 Puerto Ricans remain without power, and thousands have no clean water.

It's the result of an abused electric grid left to rot - and what's happening in Puerto Rico could happen in many other parts of America. Here's what it looks like on the ground.