Rainfall has totaled 12 to 20 inches during the storm, even 30 inches in some places, which has caused horrendous flooding. Currently, more than one million Puerto Ricans are without power, 27 percent of the island has no water, and 1,301 people are living in temporary shelters.
Governor Hochul recently shared what New York is doing to support Puerto Rico‘s affected people and infrastructure, after speaking with PR Governor Pedro Pierluisi. This includes:
- Sending 100 Spanish-speaking New York State Troopers to “assist with keeping residents safe” and removing barriers on the streets; they will also have drones to help survey the damage
- Providing medical supplies from the Greater New York Hospital Association
- Having teams from the New York Power Authority ready to deploy and assist in restoring power to the island
- Working to support any requests coordinated by FEMA
My administration has been monitoring #HurricaneFiona and working to provide necessary support and resources.
I know many New Yorkers are worried about loved ones in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, so I wanted to share an update on the latest:
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) September 21, 2022
The state is also coordinating with Delta and JetBlue, who are both donating cargo space and transporting emergency personnel — as well as Coca-Cola, which has promised water and additional supplies like baby formula. As the Dominican Republic is also affected, the Governor is in contact with President Luis Abinader to support their relief efforts as well.
“New York knows full well the devastating impact that Mother Nature can bring, and that is why we stand ready to help the people of Puerto Rico recover and rebuild from this terrible storm,” Governor Hochul said. “Our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico are incredibly resilient but, in times like this, New York will be there to help in any way we can, including sending personnel and resources to help the island and its residents recover.”
The Governor also had 14 landmarks and bridges across New York illuminated in red, white, and blue last night, September 20, in recognition of the five-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria and the current Hurricane Fiona crisis, to reaffirm NY’s support.
Mayor Adams also announced that New York City has deployed an initial team of city emergency management specialists to “assess the damage and determine how we can best help.” They will also possibly send a “larger multi-agency team” to help within the week.
We call Puerto Rico our sixth borough, and as Hurricane Fiona leaves behind a path of destruction, our administration stands ready to provide all of the support and aid our brothers and sisters need.
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) September 20, 2022
If you’re looking for ways to help individually, here are some organizations with boots on the ground (most with New York ties) that you can look into donating to:
- Hispanic Federation
- Diaspora x Puerto Rico
- PR x PR
- Global Empowerment Mission (Florida)
- NVOAD (National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster)
Want to help those affected by #Fiona?
📦 Unsolicited donated goods can burden voluntary orgs.
💵 Cash donations are the most direct, efficient, & flexible way to help.
💌 Donations to trusted orgs will ensure your money goes directly where it's needed: https://t.co/g3G2vJyDx1 pic.twitter.com/2jKk8sHdid
— FEMA (@fema) September 19, 2022