Nearly a year after Hurricane Maria barreled into Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands, causing an estimated $100 billion in damage, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is admitting that it was unprepared to deal with the aftermath of the storm.

FEMA found it "could have better anticipated that the severity of hurricanes Irma and Maria would cause long-term, significant damage" to the infrastructure of the territories, the agency said in its after-action report on how it prepared for and responded to the 2017 hurricane season, released Thursday.

The report also indicated the agency was, among other things, understaffed during the season, experienced difficulty coordinating relief efforts and saw a lack of local preparation.

The agency admitted that it entered the 2017 season, which began on June 1, "with a force strength less than its target," referring to the number of FEMA workers "who have completed the administrative requirements for deployment." This resulted in teams being stretched thin and a lag in tracking aid supplies.

Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico on Sept. 20 and was the first Category 4 storm to make landfall on the island territory in 85 years. It knocked out 95 percent of cell towers and left nearly 4 million people without power.

Together, Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria caused $265 billion in damage, according to FEMA.

Today, some 60,000 people in Puerto Rico still have only tarps for roofs blown off by Maria, and more than 1,500 customers are still without power more than nine months after the storm.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is set to make a law enforcement announcement from a Justice Department conference room at 11:45 a.m. ET Friday. This story will have a livestream.

A retired Central Connecticut State University theater professor has turned himself in to police after an accident in class in May and he was charged with interfering with a police officer and reckless endangerment in the second degree, according to school officials. 

A statement CCSU president Zulma Toro sent to the school community said Thomas Callery turned himself in to the CCSU Police Department on Thursday after being informed that a warrant for his arrest had been issued. 

The charges are connected to an accident involving a student in the Maloney Hall’s Black Box Theater on March 28, according to Toro’s statement to the university community.

The student was injured, but no information was released on the extent of the injury. 

Callery was placed on administrative leave soon after the incident while the investigation was conducted and he retired before the investigation was completed, Toro’s statement said. 

Callery was released on a $10,000 bond and he is due in court on July 26, according to school officials. 

A grand jury convened by special counsel Robert Mueller indicted 12 Russian officers for allegedly hacking into the Democratic National Committee and the Hilary Clinton presidential campaign. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein detailed  the charges during a press conference on July 13.   

Read the indictment below. 

Country music star Tim McGraw is coming to Connecticut and will perform at the Greenwich Wine + Food Festival in September.

The event runs Sept. 21 and 22 in McGraw’s performance will be on the second day.

Daniel Boulud, Connecticut native Scott Conant, Mary Giuliani, Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli and Adam Richman, of “Man v. Food” fame will be in attendance.

Learn more on the website for the event here. 

High school students across the country are upset with June's SAT exam — not because it was too hard but because it was too easy, NBC News reported.

Students are demanding that the College Board rescore the test after they got lower-than-expected scores even if they answered more questions correctly than the first time they took it.

"I was really shocked and sad," said Ashley Kim, a rising senior from Fort Lee, New Jersey, whose math score dropped 20 points despite five more correct questions.

A College Board spokesperson said more points were taken off of the June exam because it was easier than others. That is done to make the scores comparable with prior exams.

A popular Waterbury beach is back open after high bacteria levels kept it off-limits to swimmers for over a week. However, some say it’s just a matter of time before it happens again.

During last week’s heat wave and even on the Fourth of July, the only ones enjoying the swimming area at Waterbury’s Lakewood Park were the geese.

“Other towns have problems with their parks but you never hear of a park being closed for a long lengthy period of time so kids can’t get in. In Lakewood you hear that every single year,” said Alderman Vernon Matthews (R - District 2).

First in June and then again in July, Waterbury’s Lakewood Park has been closed to swimmers twice, most recently for eight days straight. From the feathers in the grass, to the droppings in the sand, the geese make their presence known, hanging out near or even inside the swimming area.

“You can actually smell the turds as the wind blows,” Matthews pointed out.

We found a few people undeterred by the calling cards the geese left behind.

“It doesn’t bother me as long as it doesn’t touch me,” said Tyrone Del Gado of Waterbury.

“If you go to every lake you’re going to see birds poop or garbage all over the place so it really doesn’t matter,” added Waterbury resident Diannellie Beard.

“I’m glad that they’re out here enjoying themselves, but I’m also thinking alright, what’s really going on in the water,” said Matthews as he looked on.

Matthews, who serves on the parks board and represents the lake’s district says he wouldn’t bring his own children to swim here.

“What steps were actually taken to make sure that it’s safe? Is it safe now,” he asked.

Waterbury’s Public Works Director David Simpson said the water is tested twice a week, and the sand raked several times a day. You don’t have to look far to see that’s not solving the problem. Some geese droppings blend in with the rocks in the sand while others are more obvious.

“You can still see fresh mounds and you can also see residue of old mounds there,” Matthews said.

Coyote decoys, bitter grass planted next to the beach, noise-makers, and strobe lights haven’t been a successful deterrent, said Simpson.

While leaders continue to explore other options, Matthews said many of the park’s users who lack transportation need an alternative to cool off that’s close by. He said leaders approved a splash pad at the park in May, but construction has yet to begin.

“I want them to have some place where it’s safe for them to go and swim,” he explained.

Public works employees who maintain Lakewood Park add that part of the problem is that people are not heeding an important warning sign posted near the beach: Don’t feed the geese. They say that is attracting more birds and compounding the issue.

When Eric Ristaino sold his iPhone 6S on Amazon, he wanted to get a little extra cash to pay for a new one. But the Branford resident said he ended up without the money or the phone because of a problem with the online retail giant.

“It’s like I got robbed,” said Eric Ristaino.

In 2016, Ristaino was having a battery problem with his iPhone. So, he brought it to Apple where they replaced it.

He then bought the new iPhone 7 and decided to sell the replacement phone online.

“I figured Amazon is the fastest way,” said Ristaino.

Ristaino said he shipped the iPhone to a buyer in New Haven.

“About three months later, they sent me a request to return the phone,” said Ristaino.

Ristaino told us, he denied the buyer’s return request, and said Amazon initially stood behind his decision. He said he worried anything could’ve happened with the iPhone in the time that the new owner had it.

“I don’t know if that’s my phone I’m getting back, if it’s damaged,” said Ristaino.

Then in 2017, Ristaino saw a $595 charge back on his credit card statement for the iPhone he had sold by Amazon. It was the amount the buyer had paid for the phone back in 2016.

Ristaino said he called and emailed Amazon repeatedly for two years to find out why his money was taken and the location of the phone. Ristaino insisted he was getting the run around by the company.

“They told me the same thing that I should be issued a refund and they’ll contact me 24 to 48 hours,” said Ristaino. “I’m out a phone and I’m out 600 dollars.”

Frustrated over the entire process, Ristaino contacted NBC Connecticut Responds.

According to Amazon’s return policy, any item can be returned within 30 days. But in this case, the buyer waited three months to do so.

After years of trying to get his money, an Amazon’s spokesperson told NBC Connecticut Responds that they’ve refunded the $595 they took back from Ristaino. Because of that refund, he now has his money. But he never found out what happened to the phone.

Amazon told Responds in a statement:

“Small businesses and entrepreneurs selling on Amazon Marketplace are incredibly important to our customers. We work hard to help these businesses successfully reach and delight Amazon customers, and we continue to innovate and improve the experience for all sellers”

Ristaino said he is now a much happier customer.

“I know you guys are great at what you do, you really help people.”

The indictments against 12 Russian operatives allegedly involved in hacking the Democratic National Committee has put a spotlight on a massive Russian intelligence agency that has long lived in the shadow of the KGB, NBC News reported.

The Main Intelligence Directorate, better known by the acronym GRU from its Russian name, is the Kremlin's military intelligence arm. Founded not long after the Bolshevik revolution, it plays a much larger role than its rough U.S. equivalent, the Defense Intelligence Agency.

The indictment stands as special counsel Robert Mueller's first allegation implicating the Russian government directly in criminal behavior meant to sway the presidential election, the Associated Press reported.

New Haven has approved a pilot parking program, essentially based on a supply and demand model, that they hold will solve the parking congestion problems in the city.

“If parking is too tight, again, you raise the rate,” explained Doug Hausladen, the director of the city’s Department of Transportation, Traffic and Parking. “If there’s a lot of availability, you lower the rate.”

New Haven officials have been working on a “congestion” pricing plan for months. The premise is based on tweaking prices at parking meters around the city based on how often the space is used and the time of the day. Currently, the rate is standard at $1.50 per hour.

”The morning hours, we’re proposing dropping rates in half,” said Hausladen. “Seventy-five cents an hour to come down, take care of your business at City Hall from 9 to 11 and get in and get out.”

Hausladen said the prices will go up and down by 25 cents every three months. He estimates a $100,000 jump in revenue each year.

”We’re not talking about a lot. The goal is reduce circling, make it more convenient for parking and make sure people are less frustrated when they come downtown.”

The pilot program will be implemented in January and be in place for at least three years.

A Waterford airman has died after an incident at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates.

The Department of Defense said 26-year-old Staff Sgt. James T. Grotjan died Thursday from injuries sustained in a non-combat incident at the base on July 8.

Grotjan was assigned to the 4th Civil Engineer Squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina.

Waterford First Selectman Dan Steward the town will honor Grotjan as they have for other fallen soldiers but did not immediately have specifics.

"These deaths are very challenging to our community," Steward wrote in an email.

"He and his family will be in our prayers."

More information was not immediately available.

Town officials in Stratford voted last week to ban fishing at the seawall along Beach Drive for safety issues.

Dennis Turner has been fishing at the popular spot for a few years.

”It’s excellent,” Turner said. “The porgies are biting. Everybody’s catching fish. I mean anybody can catch a fish…yeah, if you come here anybody can catch a fish.”

Turner, like others, did not know about the recently passed ban. Stratford Police said they have received several complaints, such as fishermen cleaning their catch at the wall. Police said it has also impacted foot traffic.

”If there’s a ban and they say there’s a ban, I respect that a 100 percent,” said Turner. “I’m a law-abiding citizen.”

”I can relate somewhat to that, but it looks like you would come up with some other accommodations then for the fishermen,” said Stratford resident Lourine Esaw.

Esaw was at the wall Friday afternoon. He was upset to learn that one of his favorite spots is now off-limits.

”I’m very disappointed to hear that they’re banning fishing in the area altogether. I mean the fishing was just starting to get good.”

Stratford police said they are working to inform people about the ban. Captain Frank Eannotti said enforcement of the ordinance will begin in about two weeks.

Around 300,000 people are expected to pour into New London this weekend for the 41st annual Sailfest. The multi-day event is “hands down” the busiest weekend of the year in New London, according to city police Chief Peter Reichard.

Safety procedures have been in the works in January and there is a lot of help from local, state and federal agencies.

New this year, along with barricades, there will be dump trucks and garbage trucks where the roads are closed down.

“From what we’ve seen around the globe taking place in Europe and other countries where people are using vehicles to hit pedestrians,” Reichard said.

Divers are checking the piers and there will be trained crews on the water.

Waterford Officer Patrick Flanagan will represent one of the agencies on the Thames River, making sure boaters are following the rules of the water and enforcing a 1,000-foot safety zone around the fireworks barge.

“I think a lot of the public has heard about happened up in Middletown with the firework show (where the barge caught on fire) so we want to make sure we keep people away as far as possible,” Flanagan said.

A command center is headquartered at the Fire Department.

When it comes to medical needs, there are two aid stations and help can travel to people via EMS bikes and walking patrols, according to New London Fire Chief Henry Kydd.

Police and organizers are asking people to not bring coolers nor pets and warning that bags could be checked.

Reichard also said try to limit what is brought in a stroller since it will get very crowded, especially during the fireworks, and will be difficult to navigate through the crowds.

Sailfest started at 3 p.m. on Friday and runs until 6 p.m. on Sunday. The fireworks are at 9 p.m. on Saturday.

NBC Connecticut is a proud media sponsor of Sailfest.

Republican gubernatorial candidate and former hedge fund manager David Stemerman says the time has come to start rating schools based on certain criteria, and to dictate their funding.

Stemerman made the proposal during a visit to Specialty Wire & Cord, a Hamden manufacturer.

“If a school is doing a really good job and they can attract more students, they should get more funding,” Stemerman said.

Stemerman is one of five GOP candidates looking to win the party’s nomination on August 14th, the day of Connecticut’s statewide primary. He is one of three businessmen, and Stemerman is making his first ever foray into public service.

He says the state is doing many of the right things when it comes to the state’s community colleges and their advanced manufacturing programs. His criticism stems from the graduation rates from those programs, and awareness of them around the state.

“Not enough people know that that’s available to them so we need to do a better job educating people all over the state that if you go to our career and technical school, that’s available to you.”

Ensuring the state has a stronger workforce, Stemerman insists, the state must hold schools accountable and provide performance data on how each school is doing. He says every school in the state, regardless of whether they are in a wealthy or poor district, would be judged the same way.

“We need to have a student funding formula where the schools that are doing better they get more resources and they get the same amount of dollars per kid, whether you’re the local neighborhood school, a career and technical school, a magnet school, a charter. It’s all the same thing.”

Stemerman is laying the groundwork for what amounts to an open school choice program purely based on performance, which is sure to anger teachers’ unions. Connecticut does have open choice in some districts which allows students from outside of one district to attend a school in another district. There are also magnet school programs that pull students from multiple towns.

Stemerman wants to increase the options for parents, allowing them to have the ultimate say over their child’s education, rather than where they live. He compares the method to free market economics.

“This is where we say let’s give every family a voice and a choice,” Stemerman said. “You don’t force somebody to go to buy a car at a particular place, you don’t force them to buy a house. You say, it’s a market, lets’ give them choice. We’re going to give people information about the schools out there and they’re going to pick the best one for their kid.”

Jahana Hayes, a newcomer to the political scene, says race is an issue that’s at the forefront of the election for the vacant Fifth Congressional District.

"I can't take this skin off. It's who I am,” Hayes said during an interview at her Waterbury campaign headquarters. “I care about people and I think the only way to care about people is to have a deeper level of understanding to invite all people into the conversation."

She says it still surprises her when she thinks about the fact that a black Democrat has never represented Connecticut in Congress.

“Something is missing and it bothers me because I am a black woman,” Hayes said.

Hayes grew up in a housing project in Waterbury. She became pregnant as a teenager and later worked to put herself through school, receive advanced degrees, and teach social studies in Waterbury.

She rose to prominence in 2016 when she won the National Teacher of the Year award, bringing her into contact with national education advocacy groups and then-President Barack Obama.

She had never given any thought to running for public office, but then Rep. Elizabeth Esty, who has held the seat since 2013, announced she would not seek re-election after a scandal was revealed in her office involving the assault of one of her staff members, by her previous chief of staff.

Then, the calls came from supporters urging Hayes to run in her hometown district.

The encouragement, she says, shifted her speculation into action.

"It's so much bigger than me and it just invites other people into this conversation, you know people who feel like that's not about me or that doesn't concern me and that's really important."

The issue she has faced along the way is many within the state’s Democratic establishment telling her how they would rather see someone with more experience, or who is more of a known entity.

She says the fact that she is an outsider with an education background is what maker her candidacy unique and resonated with voters in places like Waterbury, Meriden, and New Britain.

When asked if she considers her candidacy to be an insurgent one, with ties to the “blue wave” of Democratic support expecting to sweep through the country, Hayes says she does consider her voice to be a new one, that should be heard in the district and in Washington.

"That narrative and the way they've always been has excluded a large majority of this district and not just in race and ethnicity but diversity of thought, diversity of experiences, socioeconomic backgrounds, geography. There are so many other people who want to be a part of this conversation. So, that mentality excludes all of those people."

The NBC Connecticut Meteorologists have issued a First Alert for Sunday.

Humidity will gradually increase for Saturday before oppressive humidity returns to the state for Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.

There's a chance for showers and thunderstorms Saturday evening and a more significant chance for thunderstorms on Sunday. Some of the storms on Sunday could be strong to even severe. 

These storms will bring the chance for strong winds, heavy rain and even small hail. 

Take a look at First Alert Future Radar at 6:30 Sunday you can see a line of thunderstorms moving across Connecticut.

The weather quiets down for Monday before another round of thunderstorms moves into the state on Tuesday. 

The woman seen in a viral video being harassed for wearing a Puerto Rico shirt at a Cook County forest preserve spoke publicly for the first time Friday since the man involved in the incident was charged with a felony hate crime and the officer at the scene resigned. 

Mia Irizarry said the latest developments in the fallout from her viral footage left her "severely disappointed," but at the same time brought her "indescribable joy."

• See the Original Video Here

She was disappointed, she said, after learning of the officer's resignation, saying, "I will never get to hear his explanation." 

But she noted she was happy that her video prompted such a reaction. 

"This man will never be in a position to protect a life yet turn away again," she said. 

"I have done my job," she added. 

Little had been heard from Irizarry in the weeks following the incident, which took place as the vet tech tried to have a 24th birthday celebration in Caldwell Woods. Irizarry's Facebook video documenting her encounter has taken over social media in recent days, despite being posted nearly one month ago. 

She said she filed a complaint on June 21, but didn't know her complaint was received until her story went viral again. 

"I found out all my information the same way you guys did, through [the Forest Preserves'] Twitter," she said. 

Timothy Trybus, the man seen berating Irizarry in the footage, had earlier been charged with misdemeanor assault and misdemeanor disorderly conduct. Those charges were upgraded to two counts of felony hate crime after the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office reviewed the case. Trybus was re-arrested Thursday and released on bond Friday.

The Cook County Forest Preserve officer seen standing by while Trybus harassed Irizarry in the video resigned, officials said Wednesday evening.

"Effective today, Officer Patrick Connor no longer serves in the police department of the Forest Preserves of Cook County," the forest preserve tweeted. "He resigned late today. But that isn’t where our work ends."

"My life had such little value to him," Irizarry said Friday. 

Before the filming began, Irizarry said her encounter started when she arrived at the park and asked Trybus and others to leave the area because she had rented the space for a party. Trybus questioned her shirt, asking if it was the Texas flag, and at one point jumped on a table, she said.

"What made me start recording was the moment that he stepped on the table and showed his aggression," she said. 

Irizarry filmed the scene on Facebook Live as Trybus began telling her her shirt with the Puerto Rican flag on it should not be worn “in the United States of America.”

"I haven’t thought about what would happen if I hadn’t recorded, although I’m pretty sure it would not have ended well for my safety," she said. 

The video shows Irizarry asking Connor for help, but the officer does not appear to stop Trybus, who continues his rant and gets increasingly closer to Irizarry in the space she said she had rented that afternoon.

“Officer, I feel highly uncomfortable; can you please grab him?” she is heard saying on the footage.

Connor is then seen turning around and walking back toward his car.

“Why is she wearing that sh--?” Trybus said.

Trybus questions if Irizarry is a citizen of the U.S. and continues to shout at Irizarry as she pleads with the officer to remove the man from the space, footage shows. 

Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory and residents on the island are American citizens.

"It was extremely surreal to think that someone who’s job basically on them - protect and serve - to completely walk away, not even ignore at that point, but to completely walk away, it’s still pretty surreal," she said. 

Eventually, Irizarry's cousins arrived at the scene and get involved. Other officers arrive several minutes later and one eventually takes down Irizarry’s information and her account of what happened. 

Trybus, who authorities said was intoxicated, was arrested at the scene. 

"I am greatly surprised, shocked, I’ve never personally had an encounter with racism to this degree so it was definitely an eye opener," Irizarry said. 

Though the footage had already been seen over a million times after it was first posted in early June, new postings of the video prompted responses from the forest preserve and even the governor of Puerto Rico.

Forest Preserves officials said the officer involved in the incident had been with the department for 10 years, and did call for assistance on his radio. Still, they stated the officer's actions were not part of procedure. 

"The officer should have stepped in and he should have done something," Forest Preserves Chief of Police Kelvin Pope said during a news conference Tuesday afternoon. "And that's the reason we’re here today, because he did not."  

They noted that they apologized to Irizarry and refunded her money. 

“All people are welcome in the Forest Preserves of Cook County and no one should feel unsafe while visiting our preserves,” their tweet read.

Ricardo Rossello, the governor of Puerto Rico, also began tweeting about the “undignified event.”

“I am appalled, shocked & disturbed by the officer’s behavior,” he wrote. “We will be looking into this incident as our offices in DC are in contact with local and state authorities, demanding that this officer be expelled from the police force. He failed to deescalate the situation and therefore did not ensure a citizen’s safety.”

Others said more needs to be done in wake of the incident. 

"From my understanding there have been several apologies issued but the thing is that apologies are only the beginning," Cristina Pacione-Zayas, co-chair of the Puerto Rican Agenda, said Friday. "We want meaningful, measurable and palpable change." 

The group, who stood by Irizarry as she gave her statement to the press, called for audits of the Cook County Forest Preserves and policy change. 

"We nee to know what exactly are you going to put in place and when exactly are you going to do it," Pacione-Zayas said.

Irizarry, who said she ultimately managed to enjoy a barbecue at the park for her birthday hours later, said she plans to continue visiting the forest preserve, despite her experience. 

"One officer is not the mark of all of them and I am very aware of that," she said. 

Local health departments are turning to new technology this summer to help prevent sunburn.

A device at Middletown’s Crystal Lake and another at the Veterans Memorial Pool measure the strength of harmful UV pays as they change throughout the day, displaying the number of minutes it could take to burn unprotected skin.

“People don’t know how dangerous is the UV exposure in real time at the point of exposure so this device help them to understand,” said Ferenc Fazekas the project lead at SOLaware Technologies, which created the devices.

Middletown’s Health Department and Middlesex Hospital said displays are an effort to remind people to slather on the sunscreen frequently, and after getting out of the water. According to the manufacturer, Wallingford, North Haven and other shoreline towns are also testing them out.

A Facebook post and an accusation of racism have left the Democratic mayor of one Connecticut city and the leader of its Republican party in a heated back and forth.

Middletown Mayor Dan Drew (D) told NBC Connecticut that he believes William Wilson, the chair of the Middletown GOP, is a racist, and does not regret calling him one in a Facebook comment this week.

But Wilson said he doesn’t have a bias against anyone and he thinks the mayor’s language is only dividing the city.

“I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t believe it,” Drew said of his comments about Wilson on social media. He did not back down from his claim.

The online fight that’s now gone offline began Monday after Drew posted an article about Trump Administration staffers facing public harassment, Drew’s post calling it “good.”

Wilson commented, “Would you be happy if this was happening to you and your family?”

Drew responded, in part. “I’ll hold off on taking any lectures from openly racist people. And, yes, I mean you, Bill.”

Wilson said, political differences aside, the mayor has no reason to label him that way.

“I found that funny coming from somebody who promotes hate on his page constantly,” Wilson said.

“If you’re a Republican and you don’t believe exactly what the mayor believes, then you’re a fascist, a racist… all these other names,” he added.

Drew said Wilson’s views on the separation of migrant families at the southern border prove he’s biased and pointed to an image Wilson shared implying that President Trump doesn’t think of Hispanic children as “his residents.”

“This isn’t someone who has a different policy perspective, this is someone who is standing up and saying it’s okay to treat people different based on who they are,” Drew said.

Wilson, however, said he’s not a racist and believes Drew is using his platform to make false accusations and stir the pot in a boiling political climate.

“What happened to free speech? What happened to people just sitting down and discussing their differences to each other?” Wilson asked.

Wilson said he shared that image the mayor pointed to as a joke and to ask his followers what they thought about it.

Waterville Road in Avon was shut down for around two hours Friday night due to a propane tank leak.

Fire officials said homeowners on Waterville Road discovered their 100-gallon propane tank was leaking when they smelled a heavy odor of gas around 8 p.m. Firefighter responded and shut down the road, which has since reopened.

The gas company responded and repaired the leak, which was coming from a relief valve on the tank. No one was hurt and the family was able to return to their home.