Photo by Eric Rojas x AL Magazine
What’s Happening In Puerto Rico 4 Days After Maria
Yesterday
At 12pm there was a ship with gasoline in its way to crash and hit ground between Salinas and Patillas. Several helicopters were sent its way and the potential disaster could be avoided.
There was a meeting with mayors to attend urgent problems, and around 25 mayors were present.
Since yesterday chauffeurs have been able to start distributing the gasoline through the Island.
Today
There are only 9 municipalities left without communication: Aibonito, Jayuya, Lajas, Mayagüez, Quebradillas, Rincón, Sabana Grande, Vieques, and Villalba. There are already resources headed to the different zones through land and air.
Guajataca can collapse at any moment, it is STILL asked to the residents near the river to EVICT NOW the area. According to the experts, the fissure at the dam is big and can collapse anytime now. Today later, the steps to take if said disaster occurs, will be notified.
Landslides from the Mountain at the 10th highway.
In the South: Total devastation, and multiple damages to the towers of transmission, even though there is no need yet to evict the area.
Efforts to transport combustion have started, and the designated chauffeurs have been identified, in collaboration with the mayors to distribute to the different municipalities, through the 20 trucks that’ll be distributed to the mayors to achieve provision, because there are enough combustion provisions.
Repairments of the telecommunications start today.
The Environmental Quality Board communicated that soon they’ll send instructions on how resolve the following pressing issues:
What will be the gathering centers of debris.
How to properly burry dead animals to protect public health
And they keep stressing that is PROHIBITED to use generators inside homes. Neither as improperly connect them to cables that can cause the death of the electrical workers.
Functioning Hospitals are:
Centro Médico de Mayagüez
Hospital Bella Vista, Mayagüez
Hospital Buen Samaritano, Aguadilla
Hospital Pavia, Santurce
El Auxilio Mutuo, San Juan
El Presbiteriano, San Juan (Ashford)
Hospital San Lucas, Ponce
Menonitas, Guayama
El Calletano, Arecibo
Manatí Medical Center, Manatí
Doctor’s Center Hospital, Manatí
Bayamón Medical Center, Bayamón
HIMA, Caguas
HIMA, Fajardo
Hospital Ryder, Humacao
Eviction Management is focused in Isabela and Quebradillas.
Brigades are working to remove debris.
Transportation boats of Culebra are operating since yesterday and continue today from 6am to 6pm.
One of the missions of today is taking resources to Vieques. Starting with 5 of the total 12 heavily affected zones that will receive items of first necessity and food: Ceiba, Bayamón, Aguadilla, Carolina (Canóvanas), and Ponce.
Refugees: Some remain without communication, and others already have food and resources their way. The ones isolated, will be receiving double the resources.
The Red Cross has been working in 12 municipalities to send resources.
FEMA’s first shipment was received yesterday:
1 million liters of water
31 power generators
4,000 cots
Food
15 helicopters working rescue operations and observing critical infrastructures
A FEMA 1.2 million dollars monetary advance arrived, and if the mayors bring the certifications of the damages, they can start to get reimbursed.
Government is one documentation away to activate the curfew’s Peace Officers.
Help, Relief, and Important Information:
Mayagüez Medical Center is full at capacity. A mobile unit is being sent their way, but the Governor makes a call to all available personnel (doctors, nurses, etc…) to provide help.
The Governor reassessed that citizens that report through social media, combustion needs for hospitals or asylums, must report it the Center of Emergency Operations (COE) at 787-725-7034.
You can send donations directly to: www.unidosporpuertorico.com; their ATH Móvil at 787-552-9141, Paypal: paypal.me/unitedforpuertorico or at their First Bank account: 0108501910.
IVU Tax on prepared foods remain inactive until October 8th.
Aerial traffic is very congested.
There is partial communication with Panamá.
The west is significantly isolated of communication.
Closed and/ or obstructed highways:
PR 60 in Kl of Fajardo to Caguas, is closed both ways.
Highway PR 52 Kl 27.9 closed in direction from San Juan to Ponce (tomorrow or Tuesday there will be habilitated detours)
PR 3 from Fajardo to Rio Grande: from Kl 30.7 to 31.1, and from 38.8 to 44.7
PR 26 Baldorioty highway in Kl 4.1, partially flooded.
PR 2 in the Kl 200, floodings; Kl 22.6 in Toa Baja, and Kl 140 in direction from Mayagüez to Arecibo.
PR 111 in Utuado, impassable due to collapse in the Kl 54.4 (there is detour in the PR 603 and 6103)
PR 59 in Juana Díaz impassable in Kl 1
PR 108 Mayagüez with releases in Kl 12.6 with detour in the con PR 406 and 4430
Problems at the Virgencita Bridge in Toa Alta and the Punta Salina’s one in the 165
Governor’s message to the families outside of the Island and the diaspora, about the current needs:
Better to send help, that to keep occupying the aerial ways to come here, so that help can arrive effectively.
First necessity items needed: water, food, power generators.
Normality will take time, and the goal is reconstruct a stronger and better Puerto Rico than before.
AUTHOR
Estefanía Colón
