Puerto Rico was hit with a category 5 storm from Hurricane Irma on September 7, and this storm caused much destruction and left over one million without power. Just when Puerto Rico started to recover their strength from the destruction of Hurricane Irma they got hit again. On September 20, Hurricane Maria made direct contact with Puerto Rico with powerful 150 mph winds. The hurricane wiped walls clean off of buildings and homes alike while the streets and homes became flooded with the torrential downpour.
It’s been over a month, yet 80 percent of people in Puerto Rico are still without power, and there is a food shortage that the residents are dealing with on a daily basis. On top of trying to get through their day without power and scrounging for food, more than a third of the people living in Puerto Rico don’t have drinking water. Can you imagine waking up and not being able to drink water throughout your day for hydration? Without access to clean water, there’s no bathing or using it for cooking. These are pressing issues that are affecting many lives. The island is nearly destroyed, and people are left wondering when they will have their homes back, when their next meal will be, how long FEMA will be there to help them recover, and many feel frustrated as they struggle to find clean water. Hospitals are short on medicine, businesses are closed, but many people are coming together to help friends, neighbors, and strangers.
Puerto Rico became a part of the United States in 1917 when President Woodrow Wilson signed the Jones-Shafroth Act. This enables Puerto Ricans to freely travel to the United States and back without the requirement for a passport. According to the Stafford Act which was signed in 1988, federal response is to be governed for disaster relief and emergency assistance. Hurricane Maria is a reminder to help out those in need especially when they are under American citizenship. FEMA, the military, and the First Responders are over there now helping Puerto Rico recuperate.
In times like these, we are reminded that people come together to help each other through times of crisis. It’s always better to be safe than sorry and have your home prepared before a storm emerges from the Caribbean. With our Bahama shutters in Palm Bay or Melbourne, Florida, you can protect your home from strong winds. At Brevard Shutters, we have a variety of hurricane protection equipment available that will help keep all infrastructures intact when hurricane force winds hit.