Puerto Rico: Emergency Hurricane Maria Update and Relief Efforts
This page will be dynamic and updated as information becomes available. Updates will be highlighted with time stamps.
Please email me all updates to Emergency@SofritoMediaGroup.com
Here is what we know
CURFEW IN EFFECT ON THE ISLAND FROM 6PM – 6AM
1320 WSKN Radio Isla is broadcasting via the emergency broadcasting system.
You can listen using MyTuner Radio app.
The number to send messages of support to your family live on air
is as follows 787 – 292 -1700
9/19/17 – State of Emergency – source: White House
Today, President Donald J. Trump declared that an emergency exists in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and ordered Federal assistance to supplement commonwealth and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Maria beginning on September 17, 2017, and continuing.
The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts. This action will help alleviate the hardship and suffering that the emergency may inflict on the local population, and provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives, protect property, and ensure public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in all 78 municipalities in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide, at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding.
Brock Long, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Alejandro DeLaCampa as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT THE FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@FEMA.DHS.GOV.
Weather Updates
Current Status – as of 7am, Sept 21st – source NYTIMES LIVE UPDATES
Hurricane Maria regained “major hurricane status” early Thursday as it marched toward the Dominican Republic, bringing heavy rainfall there even as Puerto Rico was battling extensive floodwaters.
The eye of the storm moved off Puerto Rico’s coast Wednesday afternoon, but Maria was still causing catastrophic flooding on the island early Thursday, the National Weather Service said. By 1 a.m., flash flood warnings were expanded to cover the entire island.
“If possible, move to higher ground NOW!” the National Weather Service office in San Juan said.
Here’s the latest:
• The storm made landfall at Yabucoa in Puerto Rico’s southeast shortly after 6 a.m. Wednesday, as a Category 4 storm with winds as strong as 155 miles per hour. It had crossed the United States Virgin Islands as a Category 5 storm, then weakened. Its winds were blowing about 110 miles per hour on Wednesday evening.
• Forecasters say Puerto Rico will see about two feet of rain by Friday. Storm surges are expected to raise water levels by as much as six feet in the Dominican Republic.
• Governor Rosselló told CNN late Wednesday that officials knew of only one fatality in Puerto Rico, but noted that they still could not communicate with the southeastern part of the island, which was hit earliest and hardest by the storm. “We still don’t have a lot of information,” he said.
• President Trump late Wednesday designated the U.S. Virgin Islands a disaster area to make federal funds available to people on St. Croix who were affected by the storm.
• Hartley Henry, an adviser to Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that there had been seven confirmed deaths from Hurricane Maria on that island. Two people were also killed on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, officials said.
• Officials at Ross University Medical School on Dominica said they planned to evacuate students and others by boat to St. Lucia.
• Sign up for the Morning Briefing for hurricane news and a daily look at what you need to know to begin your day. Follow the storm’s path with our maps.
UPDATED 9/21/17 – 6pm
• The death toll from Hurricane Maria has risen to at least 15 on the small Caribbean island of Dominica, according to Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit. Two people were also killed on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, officials said.
• Gov. Ricardo Rosselló told CNN late Wednesday that officials knew of only one fatality in Puerto Rico.
• The United States Coast Guard reported the death of a man aboard a capsized vessel near Vieques, Puerto Rico. A woman and two children were rescued from the boat by a British Royal Navy helicopter crew, it added.
• President Trump said Thursday that he would visit Puerto Rico, but gave no details on the timing of the trip.
• In the United States Virgin Islands, Gov. Kenneth E. Mapp announced a 24-hour curfew for four islands until further notice. In Puerto Rico, Gov. Rosselló had previously set a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew effective until Saturday.
Updated 9/22/17 7am
• At least eight people died after drowning in different parts of Toa Baja, the mayor of the town, Bernardo Márquez, said in an interview. The mayor said that storm surge and river overflows had burst through open floodgates and that alarms did not sound when the floodgates were opened because of faulty maintenance. Three children and a police officer were among the dead, he said.
The newly reported deaths came after Governor Rosselló told CNN late Wednesday that officials knew of one fatality in the commonwealth involving a man who was hit by a board. The United States Coast Guard also reported the death of a man aboard a capsized vessel near Vieques, P.R.
• The death toll from Hurricane Maria has risen to at least 15 on the small Caribbean island of Dominica, according to Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit. Two people were also killed on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, officials said.
• Forecasters say Puerto Rico will see up to an additional eight inches of rain through Saturday, adding to the several feet of rain that has fallen on parts of the island. Caguas, in the central mountains, has received the most rain on the island during Maria, 37.9 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
• There is significant concern about the expected “life-threatening” storm surge of nine to 12 feet in the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos, according to Michael Brennan of the National Hurricane Center.
• President Trump said Thursday that he would visit Puerto Rico, but he gave no details on the timing of the trip.
• In Puerto Rico, Governor Rosselló had previously set a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew effective until Saturday. On Thursday, he requested that Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York help with recovery efforts. Governor Cuomo will travel to Puerto Rico with key emergency response officials as early as Friday morning, his office said in a statement.
• In the United States Virgin Islands, Gov. Kenneth E. Mapp announced that a 24-hour curfew would be scaled back on three islands beginning on Friday morning. And although the full curfew remained in place on St. Croix, Governor Mapp said residents would be allowed to leave their homes to get supplies during a four-hour window on Friday.
• In the British Virgin Islands, government officials issued an all clear at 9 a.m. on Thursday morning, lifting a curfew that had been in effect since 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
Updated 9/23/17 9am
A dam in northwestern Puerto Rico suffered structural damage on Friday, the governor said at a news conference, prompting evacuations of areas nearby in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.
“Close to 70,000 is the estimate of people that could be affected in the case of a collapse,” the governor, Ricardo Rosselló, said about the Guajataca Dam, which is operated by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority. “We don’t know the details. It’s time to get people out.”
The news about the dam was a dramatic sign that the scale of troubles left behind by the storm were just being understood. Power remained out and phone service was still limited. On Friday night, the governor was flying over to the dam area to see how serious the risk might be, said a spokeswoman for the Puerto Rico Emergency Management Agency.
A flash flood warning was previously issued by the National Weather Service for the municipalities of Isabela and Quebradillas, in the immediate areas of the dam. “This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation,” the service said in an advisory.
Messages sent to the power authority about the condition of the dam were not immediately returned.
The National Guard has been activated in the area, the governor said.
According to the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Guajataca Dam is an earthen structure, 120 feet high and nearly 1,000 feet long. It was built in the mid-1920s by the Army Corps of Engineers, but is now owned by the power authority.
It lies across the Guajataca River, forming a reservoir that can hold about 11 billion gallons of water that is used for drinking, irrigation and power generation.
Sign up for the Morning Briefing for hurricane news and a daily look at what you need to know to begin your day. See how the storm traveled across Puerto Rico, and here is a guide on how to help victims.
Aid is being sent to Puerto Rico.
Officials in Puerto Rico were corralling incoming aid as rescue and recovery efforts continued after the storm, Mr. Rosselló said on MSNBC on Friday.
“There’s still some rain and, of course, the soils are saturated, so it’s still not safe to go outside,” he said. “We’re still on emergency protocol and our main objective right now is making sure people are safe.”
Mr. Rosselló said that the island was getting generators, mattresses, food and water from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and from others in the private sector.
Officials have established a logistics center, which will receive all incoming aid and then distribute it to 12 zones throughout the island, he said.
“The people of Puerto Rico are really being tremendous under these circumstances,” he said.
Some elderly residents had been found in rural areas without food and necessary medication, Carmen Yulín Cruz, the mayor of San Juan, said on CNN on Friday.
“My biggest fear is that we don’t get to those that need it,” she said. “If we get to an elderly home too late, the situation of care will be disastrous.”
The Dominican Republic appears to have been spared the storm’s full force.
Early reports indicated there was minimal damage to the country. In a statement late Thursday, the Ministry of Tourism said that the tourism industry was not directly impacted by the hurricane. The industry fuels a large portion of the economy. So far in 2017, at least five million tourists have visited the country.
“In the north, the situation is under control despite intermittent rains and moderate winds that have caused some trees to fall,” said Julio Almonte, vice minister of tourism for the Dominican Republic’s northern zone. “We have toured the area and can report that the hotel infrastructure has not suffered any damage and that electricity and water services are working.”
Punta Cana, La Romana and Samaná El Catey airports reopened on Thursday evening.
“So far, no significant damage is reported in the country’s tourist destinations,” said Joel Santos, president of the National Hotel and Tourism Association of the Dominican Republic. “There are cleaning and gardening crews operating to repair some of the things that wind and rain have affected, but fortunately there is nothing that the current protocols and established procedures have not helped us deal with.”
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IMPORTANT: at this time there are no reported deaths, but devastating reports of property loss, extensive flooding and the central region is on alert for both flash floods, mudslides and will get 2 more inches of rain by end of day.
TOWN UPDATES –
Email updates to Emergency@sofritomediagroup.com
Levittown – Completely submerged, residents awaiting rescue from the roofs of their homes.
San Juan – Extensive flooding, some reports of residents awaiting rescue from the roofs of their homes.
Vega Alta – City Hall has been completely destroyed, emergency management had to move locations
Loiza – City Hall has been completely destroyed, emergency management had to move locations
Moca – Excessive flooding, Mudslides reported.
Toa Baja -Completely submerged, residents awaiting rescue from the roofs of their homes.
Please email me all updates to Emergency@SofritoMediaGroup.com
There is a facebook group giving updates town by town based on contacts with their relatives
https://www.facebook.com/groups/274834366346071/
(NOTE THIS IS ALL THIRD PARTY INFO, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE YOU KNOW)
Power / Communications / Infrastructure
- Power has been lost in 100% of the island. (preliminary estimates give time frame of 4-6 months)
- Phone Service is down in most of the island, some people are communicating via wifi thru mobile devices.
- Extensive flooding / roads undrivable in lower elevations. There is no place to purchase gas at this time.
- Radio Isla is broadcasting via the emergency broadcasting system. You can listen using MyTuner Radio app.
Updated 9/22/17 7am
- Reports of gas stations opening.
- Limited cellular service in the metropolitan area.
- Reports of residents out clearing roads without government assistance.
- Luis Muñoz Marin Airport opens today for limited commercial flights with American, Jet Blue and Delta
- Curfew to potentially lifted after Saturday, The focus right now is keeping people safe.
- NY Governor to visit the island today at 12 noon to assist with infrastructure needs
Please email me all updates to Emergency@SofritoMediaGroup.com
Relief Efforts
The Puerto Rican Diaspora has continued efforts to mobilize since Hurricane Irma. Here are the organizations that have launched initiatives.
Source: Capicu Culture
Mi gente! I know phone lines and lights have been down in PR and flooding due to Hurricane Maria, but we still have people on the island doing the work that need our help…
ConnectRelief is an initiative started by one of Vive Borikén – Puerto Rico’s partner organizations in PR, Caras con Causa, in response to Hurricane Irma. It is a tracking system for matching up actual needs on the ground with resources in collection centers. The relief efforts for Irma have been amazing. We are receiving what we need and more, but distributing it efficiently has been very challenging. Connect Relief is a long term solution. It’s another example that proves “we don’t have to wait for political change to make positive change in Puerto Rico.” #ViveBorikén #BoricuaUnityMovement
****
If you need more info IN ENGLISH, checkout their live (but still under construction) on their website www.connectrelief.com
Elevacion!
PaPo
United for Puerto Rico
source: Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration
Disaster Recovery EffortUnited for Puerto Rico is an initiative brought forth by the First lady of Puerto Rico, Mrs. Beatriz Rosselló in collaboration with the private sector, with the purpose of providing aid and support to those affected in Puerto Rico by the passage of Hurricane Irma and Hurricane María.
Puerto Rico needs your support. Join us and help Puerto Rico recover!
I saw that on my timeline, Pilli Montilla announced that Friends of Puerto Rico has started a fund to help rebuild Puerto Rico.
In order to help build Puerto Rico after the passing of hurricane Maria, we’re raising funds that will be invested 100% in the Island. Friends of Puerto Rico is a national non-profit organization incorporated in Washington, DC. Our mission is to build the future of Puerto Rico.
About Friends of Puerto Rico
FPR provides direct financial support to nonprofits that have proven to be efficient and effective, which facilitates high-impact donations in the region. Our network of donors are business leaders from the Puerto Rican community, as well as the many friends of Puerto Rico in the Washington Metropolitan Area and beyond.
Organizations and donors involved in the Friends of Puerto Rico events become part of our network, creating opportunities for partnership and collaboration across non-profits and donors looking to maximize the impact of their work.
Our annual fundraising event, “Building the Future of Puerto Rico,” brings together our donors and the non-profit organizations that we have chosen to support that year. More information about our second annual event, held in June 2016, can be found here.
CALL TO ACTION –> Friends of Puerto Rico Donation Page on Facebook
ConPRmetidos is raising money online as well
All donations to this fund will exclusively support the victims of the catastrophic Hurricane María and Irma in Puerto Rico and provide relief and aid the communities affected by this disaster.
This fund is managed by the non-profit ConPRmetidos.
We anticipate the funds will be used first for immediate needs of food, shelter and water and then transition to long term recovery efforts.
They also have a donation dropoff between 6:00 p.m. y 8:00 p.m. at Banco Popular located 285 Madison Ave in Manhattan, New York.
DONATE NOW!
Please email me all updates to Emergency@SofritoMediaGroup.com
Florida Donation Drop Off
source: El Nuevo Dia
In Orlando, several groups created the Support, Solidarity and Aid Coordinator for victims of hurricanes Irma and María (CASA), CASA is asking the Boricua community of Florida to donate and contribute to the facilities of the Acacia center in Orlando, one of the non-governmental organizations that integrate CASA.
The Acacia Center is located at the 1865 North Econlockhatchee Train. You can also call 407-985-3735 or 787-504-3723.
New York Donation Drop Off Locations
Source: David Galarza Santa
MANHATTAN: Casabe Senior Houses 121st St and Lexington Ave. Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm.
BRONX: El Maestro, Inc. on Southern Blvd.
Take #5 to Freeman Street. Mon-Fri, 2-8pm.
BROOKLYN: Paul’s Parish Hall 334 South 5th St. Sunday, 1-5pm.
This one is from Virtual Boricua
VirtualBoricua Todos-Somos: Please support our disaster relief effort in East Harlem. Casabe Senior Houses at 150 East 121st Street near Lexington Avenue is accepting supplies (lanterns, batteries, flashlights, clothing, blankets, non-perishable foods, feminine hygiene and baby products). NO bottled water or money, please. Thank you!
News Coverage – Updated 9/22 7am
New Yorkers with Puerto Rico ties pitch in after hurricanes – NY Daily News http://ow.ly/TA1D30fknmn
Marc Anthony Urges People to Donate to Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief Efforts | Billboard http://ow.ly/pwXa30flGmx
Where you can donate to help with hurricane and earthquake relief and recovery – Vox http://ow.ly/p26H30flGrw
How to contact family in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria | Miami Herald http://ow.ly/V7N230flGG4
Please email me all updates to Emergency@SofritoMediaGroup.com
Fundraising Events
submit events to emergency@sofritomediagroup.com
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Here is the official update from El Centro
Puerto Rico Disaster Relief from Hurricanes Irma & MariaHurricane Maria landed in Puerto Rico Wednesday morning just a few days after Hurricane Irma and had devastating effects on the island. In this special issue of the Centro Voices e-magazine will focus on:
Puerto Rican community leaders and elected officials in the diaspora are calling for a renewed effort to assist Puerto Rico with disaster relief and recovery from Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Many families have lost their homes and need assistance with basic needs. In this report we include a list of local events to support Puerto Rico’s disaster relief from hurricanes Irma and Maria and a survey of charities and local initiatives with direct access to the victims of these hurricanes where you can make donations directly. You can help by donating directly to charities in Puerto Rico that are leading the effort to mitigate the unfolding humanitarian crisis, or by attending events and other local initiatives where you can bring monetary or other types of assistance. As you can see from the listing included in this newsletter, there are plenty of options to get involved. The important thing is to respond to the call to action from our leadership and organizations. Click here to read more… IN THE NEWS
HURRICANE RELIEF EVENTS
WHERE TO DONATE
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