This week marks a grim milestone in Puerto Ricos weather record: For the first time , virtually every inch of the U.S. Caribbean territorys 311-mile coastline is roasting in temperatures that feel like 114 degrees Fahrenheit. Federal forecasters say heat exhaustion or stroke are likely with prolonged exposure.

For Gloricela Santiago, 59, staying cool these nights means sleeping outside on her balcony, breathing in the fumes of neighbors generators roaring through sunrise.

Thats because Santa Isabel, the seaside town where Santiago lives and works as a technician at a public housing complex, is one of three municipalities on Puerto Ricos southern shore facing power outages that could last for seven weeks. Experts say workers can restore electricity in a matter of days, but the private utility that now controls Puerto Ricos power system would need to use its own money rather than federal dollars.

It is horrible. The heat is terrible. People cannot sleep and no longer have the budget to buy food, Santiago said in Spanish, speaking over text message Monday night to save battery on her phone. This is a crisis.