(CNN) The misery never ceases. And for millions of people in Puerto Rico, the future holds little promise of hope.

Four weeks after Hurricane Maria laid waste to the American territory, the islands remain in a state of acute crisis. Each day, the most basic elements of modern life -- potable water, electricity, medicine, phone service -- fade further into memory. And each night, infants and schoolchildren and working parents and elders close their eyes with nary a sense of when civilization might return.

Some call conditions nothing short of apocalyptic. And yet, the plan for recovery remains as murky as the filthy water some residents have scooped up to drink. Here is a glimpse four weeks into the disaster: