Dear John,
Today is the five year anniversary of when Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico, devastating the island. In the five years since, recovery has been slow and the infrastructure of the island remains precarious.
So, when Hurricane Fiona made landfall along the southeastern coastline of the island yesterday afternoon — a part of the island that is always hit first and the worst and as of yesterday was still dotted with blue tarps from Hurricane Maria five years ago — it caused catastrophic flooding that left over 75% of the island without clean water today along with an island-wide power outage. That’s over a million people in the dark. And the people of Puerto Rico have no idea when access to either of these resources will be restored.
My family lives on the southeastern coastline of Puerto Rico. And I remember five years ago, amidst the devastation and the aftermath of Maria, we couldn’t reach our family for a month. In desperation, I reached out to an organization on the ground and asked them to check on my family members. They did just that — giving my family peace of mind and extending a lifeline to Puerto Ricans in their community.
The same organizations that came together to support my family and countless other families on the ground are working together to make sure Puerto Ricans are safe. In times of crisis, it's on all of us to pitch in in whatever ways we are able. It's the idea of community caring for community, no matter how geographically close we may or may not be.
If you're able to donate, consider donating to the Fiona Community Response Fund:
Donate
The Fund’s aim is, of course, to first address the immediate humanitarian needs of those on the island. But they also intend to help build long-term power for an equitable recovery built by and for Puerto Ricans.
In 2021 Puerto Rico’s electric grid was privatized and is now run by a company called Luma, authorized by a federally-imposed oversight board as part of the restructuring of Puerto Rico’s debt. Prior to yesterday’s blackout, the company had already been under scrutiny for frequent blackouts across the island, causing many to worry justifiably. This is the first major hurricane to hit Puerto Rico since privatization and the company is already failing its first major test. But when government fails us, we know that we can count on each other.
Donate to the Fiona Community Response Fund today and help Puerto Ricans invest in an equitable and lasting recovery.
Donate
In solidarity,
Nelini Stamp
Working Families Party
