BROWNSVILLE -- It was a race for survival and there was only room for the most valued items.

That was the feeling for Melva Montemayor-Hausman and her family, as they headed for the airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico Sunday, looking to get off the island. They had two small suitcases in hand each. Flight officials asked them to reduce that to one.

"Your family picture, your favorite stuffed animal, a coloring book to keep you busy because we don't know how long you're going to be there, and something to wear," said

The Brownsville family was able to get on a humanitarian flight out.

"There's no priority seating no nothing," Montemayor-Hausman said, "you get on and you don't care where they are taking you."

She said at first, they had no idea where they were headed.

"And we didn't care," she said, "we just needed to get on to the mainland, and then they came on and announced we were going to Newark."

Now back on the mainland, she reflects on the experience. 

Montemayor-Hausman said her family decided not to evacuate, afraid they wouldn't be able to make it back to the island.

Her family took cover from Hurricane Maria in a basement for more than 12 hours.

"In the middle of it, we kind of were like, oh my God what did we do?'" she said. "When you started hearing the waves (and wind) - it sounded like a train. We started praying and hoping for the best."

Montemayor-Hausman said once the storm passed, she was quick to assess the damage and help others.

"Just by a miracle of God our condominium was fine," she said. "We did what anyone else would do. We brought our friends into our home."

The days after the storm were unbearable, she said. He felt helpless.

She wants others to learn from her experience.

"Never expect that, 'oh it's going to pass us,'" Montemayor-Hausman said. "Be prepared, no matter what."

Montemayor-Hausman said her family will stay in Brownsville, until things are back to normal in Puerto Rico.