I guess the Puerto Ricans have not invented helicopters yet.
WHERE IS OUR GOVERNMENT OF FOR AND BY THE PEOPLE?
2
For those of you that care about The PR recovery efforts...check out the PR Territory page showing the recovery efforts.
http://status.pr/?lng=en
It shows that 100% of commercial flights are operating. 96% of the normal daily container traffic is coming in. 78.64% of the gas stations are operating. 88.81% of the supermarkets are opened. 56% of all telecommunications are up.
Instead of listening to knee jerk reactions that not enough is being done...do some homework. If mutual aid from other power companies take at least two weeks to get their equipment there by ship. Given that 4x the amount of the normal lineman reach an area in distress. It is going to take some time. No one has stated how much of the transmission lines are down? how many substations are damaged? Without those two items completed there is no need to fix the distribution system. After Hugo it took 5 weeks for some areas in SC to get back online. So expecting people in PR to have electricity in a month after the storm like these two, is just wishful thinking. If 90% have power in 2 months after the storm it will be a success.
Has anyone ever considered that the PR hospitals would lose revenue by transferring patients to the Navy hospital ship? Follow the money and you will see why and where the recovery takes to long. Mutual aid from other power companies is not free, so airlifting their equipment would be cost prohibitive, shipping will be expensive enough.
So many reports about Puerto Rico mention how "laid back" and "surprisingly at ease" the people are. How do the reporters define or measure "laid back" and "at ease"? How different would it look if the Puerto Ricans were not "at ease"? Are the examples of risk assessments and creative problem solving by Carlos Ocasio, Pablo Perez Medina, Lilia Rivera and Leonardo Medina laid back?
1
The spirit of resilience has a dangerous downside that extends well beyond the people stranded in the mountains.
Daniel Hillman, the President of the system of the University of Puerto Rico, wants to re-open the main campuses on 23 October even though 100% of the students, staff and faculty have either no water or electricity or both.
https://www.elnuevodia.com/noticias/locales/nota/uprdeareciboycarolinare...
Even more incredibly, it is not clear whether the campuses re-openned will have water or electricity! All the campuses are commuter campuses. Commuting on roads without traffic lights is a real danger; for those who are in an accident that draws blood, it can quickly become a mortal danger given the scarcity of emergency care. Apparently, such likely scenarios are not entertained in the decision-making calculus of President Hillman, who happens to be a health care provider, viz. a dentist.
Fears are widespread that the semester lost to the hurricane cannot be claimed in the damages to be funded by FEMA or in waivers from obligations in the Pell Program, NIH, NSF grants and so on. So, rather than make the case that financial relief be extended, the President of the University pressures the faculties and staff to report to work! In the local news media, he is seen wielding a machete cutting down fallen trees outside his office.
2
It's no wonder a man whose father's chauffeur carried him around his paper route in the family Cadillac when it rained doesn't understand such resilient people.
2
Time for statehood.
2
They have been offered statehood twice and have rejected it. In 1998 50.5% voted no, 2012 54% voted no. PR has been given the opportunity for statehood by many presidents since 1940 and the residents do not want it. Why offer it again?
After sixteen days the downed power lines were finally restored by helmeted strangers, with funny accents from a thousand miles away. We had shared a generator, draining gas out of cars, thirty dwellings, only one road in, closed by fifty huge trees, mixed with utility poles and wires, moving it from house to house for a few hours to run the refrigerator and well pump for bathing.
This is not in Puerto Rico. This was in Central New Jersey after Sandy. Utility crews simply drove in their trucks filled with equipment from, PA, GA and OH under utility agreements made many years ago to share emergency resources.
Do not blame FEMA, the Army, the President or anyone for it taking more than a few weeks to restore power. Hundreds of huge transmission towers are down. They take months to build under good circumstances after years of planning and engineering. This is in the states where everything is moved easily by trucks not requiring a two week journey by ship to an island.
The government of Puerto Rico and the power company it owns seem completely unprepared for a major hurricane, a regular event in the Caribbean.
Expecting infrastructure that took thousands of people many years to design and build would get repaired or replaced in a month, on a remote island is not realistic. It would not be the US governments fault under any president.
3
LZE, Maria was NOT a "regular event in the Caribbean". Puerto Ricans are US Citizens. All disaster recovery services, human and health services that are automatically available to US citizens anywhere in the US should be available to Puerto Ricans. The same airplanes that brought politicians, the president, journalists, and gawkers to the island to participate in show and tell and dog and pony shows could have brought medical supplies, water purification kits, food, and other life-saving tools to the island. It is less than 2.5 hours hours plane ride from Miami. We have flown relief supplies across the world. Why not to Puerto Rico?
4
The residents of Puerto Rico are American citizens. Why did they have to wait for aid? Could it be that they're a lower priority for the Trump Administration because they speak Spanish and aren't descended from from immigrants from northern Europe?
4
Trump has been President for 10 months
Obama was President for 8 years.
Why did Obama not give the Island things that are needed when a hurricane
hits.
Its not like he didn't know there was a need.
Everyone knew .
It is easy to blame Trump.
Blame Obama as well.
I grew up in the mountains of Puerto Rico. People there are friendly and resilient and we will survive just as we have for the last hundred plus years under US control, and many more centuries of Spanish control. Our native people may have been decimated but their spirit lives in us and it is with that spirit that we will move forward. Pa'lante is the only way we can go and we will. Those who belittle us do not know that you cannot do anything to break our spirit.
5
Once they hobble the residents, Trump and company will enter to purchase their land. Five years from now, they envision a vacation destination, casinos, golf courses, and other hedonistic pleasures for the "haves". The beautiful people of PR are being ignored on purpose. I wish them the strength to resist.
3
I really doubt it. Puerto Rico has a big problem: It's three hours from Miami and there are closer beaches. Foreign tourism is limited by the fact that it's part of the US and so there are stricter visa requirements than say, St. Maarten. The opening of Cuba will utterly kill Puerto Rico.
I talked to a retired friend just before the hurricane who spent the last two summers cruising the Caribbean . I asked him where he would go back to. He said Puerto Rico.
I hope Elon Musk realizes his solar battery project for PR. Why put up 19th century electric poles that will be blown over by the next storm + attach them to a weak outdated power plant?
If PR gets a new local grid using their wind + solar power (storm-proof...?!) they would build for the future + be much more independent. An old-fashioned power plant can be kept as a backup.
3
Wind turbines are shut down when it gets too windy and rain stops solar. Your solution requires a hugely expensive twin grid, one local plus transmission lines to a distant power plant. Huge costs to keep a plant on standby. Puerto Rico needs less expensive, not more expensive electric power.
Hope the NYT will interview electrical engineers who have designed and implemented large grids and generation systems instead of tax credit subsidized solar and wind dreamers for people they will not help as they pay no federal income tax.
1
Shame on the Trump Administration - these are Americans and deserve the same care and attention as those victims in Florida and Texas, and everywhere across the US - both blue and red states. To say that PR was in bad shape prior to the hurricane suggests these victims are partially at fault, like those in New Orleans when the dikes broke.
At least the US military and other NGOs are aware of the need, and quietly without drawing critcism to the great Commander in Chief, are doing their jobs.
2
However great the PR DIY response might be, Trump and his base will be coldhearted to them. The reasons are obvious: racism, hatred for the other, and PR inability to vote. I hope the PRequenos who resettle in Florida, and so can vote, will keep this in mind as elections come around.
4
Is there a list of organizations with whom volunteers can sign up to go to PR and help?
In Cuba, people have had to learn how to do without....they call it “resolviendo”...The human need to survive is very strong. What is not strong, is the effort to help fellow citizens. What is not excusable is ignoring the suffering of fellow citizens in their dire needs. Potable water in extremely necessary for survival..this should be the immediate priority (How many weeks has it been now?) People have already died from drinking contaminated water.
9
Yes, in Cuba they have known for a long time to solve their own problems. The Revolution increased their ability to do so. Colonialism destroys self reliance. Still, many Puerto Ricans are working hard to deal with the catastrophe brought by this hurricane.
1
Where are the US troops in this? And what's the plan?
9
I grew up in Puerto Rico. They do not want your hand out, America. They want your empathy, compassion, and understanding. They want to be seen for what they have contributed not only to American culture, but to the United States armies. Puerto Rican women have endured testing birth control for you; residents of Vieques have endured polluted water and air to test your bombs. They are in a moment of crisis, and they only hope that they are seen and heard in these moments. The Puerto Ricans I know share the same sentiment as Marilyn Luciano. Who we are is people who help and understand each other, the kind of people who can see our own suffering but recognize that others may have it worst. Please stop seeing Puerto Ricans as others, as lazy, as in need of a hand out on your tax dollars when they too pay most federal taxes, or as non-American. How shameful the way America has treated Puerto Rico, not just in the past, but in this moment of crisis.
26
ummmmmm...I think right about now they might like some water.
Understanding is great but you can't drink it.
1
They don't want our "hand out", but there will be huge pressure to forgive debt and for the US taxpayer to build new infrastructure for Puerto Rico. So it amounts to the same thing.
I truly applaud their perseverance. The lessons of life here are deeply heart felt. Much respect and godspeed to the Puerto Rican people.
11
Thank you for this article, it provides hope even for those of us who were not touched by the hurricanes. It appears that Puerto Rico, in particular, is finding the silver lining to this tragedy, not that there isn't considerable hardship.
2
Remember the US Virgin Islands, too! American citizens, American territories - they had no voice and they have no vote, but they are AMERICANS who need help.
17
I was thinking of volunteering to go down to help out throwing paper towels to people.
10
Definitely remote - google Maps couldn't find this hamlet when I looked.
2
If Puerto Rico had been settled by Scandinavians, Germans, French, or British colonists, two naval battle groups with heavy-lift helicopter carriers ferrying food, water, medicines, and building supplies into the interior constantly, and every available Navy CB unit and the Army Corps of Engineers would be working around the clock to restore roads and electrical infrastructure, and the army fully deployed to back up civil authority and maintain order.
You have, we have, no real idea of just how very, very much worse it actually is, especially in the interior; people - US citizens - are dying and disease can barely be controlled.
The United States is not what it's supposed to be - the current administration and congress don't have the will, don't have the character, don't have the simple human decency.
What the current president does have is the brazen brass to tell Puerto Rico that "we can't stay there forever."
38
The effectiveness of the response to a natural disaster must be measured but by results (percent of people with power, with water, with food, with cell phone service, road access, etc.), not by quantity of inputs (number of workers, number of meals, etc.) Inputs should be concentrated (optimized) to attain the goal.
I would suggest dividing Puerto Rico into 14 sectors of approximately 250,000 people each. For each sector a preliminary list should be made of what needs to be done for them to have power, for example. The sectors should be ranked from easiest to hardest to restore to normalcy. Inputs available should be concentrated in restoring say, power, to the easiest sector. Any remaining inputs should be concentrated on the second easiest, and so on.
Each service should be subdivided into the tasks required to complete it and wherever possible attack several fronts simultaneously. For example, restoring power could be subdivided into (a) clearing roads to restore access so that diesel trucks can reach generating stations, (b) getting diesel to them, (c) raising fallen power poles, (d) replacing damaged transformers, raising power lines, etc.
A goal should be set to have all services restored to the entire island within two weeks, with a daily report to the media the results obtained.
The above can be summarized in one phrase: a “critical path scheduling with resource leveling.”
https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/scheduling-resource-leveling-projec...
6
Isn't getting level of effort estimates a part of project management? This can't be planned in a vacuum.
2
The walking talking liar in the White House has little concern for the poor of our nation. He went to Puerto Rico at his own convenience, AFTER presenting the trophy at the Presidential Cup tournament. Obviously, nothing stands in the way of his comfort. If he doesn't kill this country, have we learned our lesson? We have to muddle through his administration and hope we can right this listing ship of state.
16
They were made citizens by the US and 18,000 served in WWI with everyone from the mainland.
17
But they won't join our Olympic team. They won't fly the U.S. flag on the jury-rigged bridge. They're Americans when it suits them to be.
1
What kind of country are we?
23
One that from its beginning has committed crimes against humanity and continues to do so while claiming to be light of the world. Study its history carefully and you will see what I mean.
1
NY Times Editors,
Please keep these reports coming and go back to places that you have reported upon previously to document the magnitude and trajectory of the changes.
This sure beats Trump Admin. distortions and documents institutional neglect by our elected leaders.
29
Instead of being helped by their government to survive, Puerto Ricans must do far too much by themselves. This is because their President doesn't care that they're Americans. In his mind, their just Puerto Ricans, who should be thankful that he has the time to toss them paper towels and the Vice President does the only thing he is capable of which is praying. MAWA (Make America White Again), is their new slogan.
22
I was born and raised in Puerto Rico and I do not consider myself an "American" if that means USamerican. I am American as in Marti's Nuestra America.
1
"On the day they were visited by a reporter, they were quick to point out that other Puerto Ricans were living in worse circumstances, though it was hard to imagine whom they could have been talking about."
How people can be so generous in their plight is beyond words. I simply cannot imagine our government displaying the kind of delayed and delinquent response to Puerto Rico in the states where the first two of the trifecta hurricanes hit: Texas and Florida.
To read how Puerto Rico is coping makes one wonder if it's so easy for our current government to ignore the mess there, or worse, blame the people for it, who else could be on the administration's list?
It's clear that for the Trump administration, some lives matter more than others.
29
P.R. is a thousand miles away.
Everything has to be sent by boat.
That isn't easy.
First all the stuff they need hast o come to one location near a place a ship can be loaded with that stuff.
A boat has to be found that can take hat stuff there.
With Texas the stuff that was needed was sent by truck and from many different places.
Your comparison is not relevant.
You should know this as you are a very smart person.
Compassion is not a pin you wear. Compassion is not some phrase tossed out as a political feather in your cap. Compassion is easily readable. Compassion is not a reward for loyalty. It rests in the eyes and tone of a persons voice... with Obama it came as naturally as a breath of air.. with Trump it'll cost ya. Just like Jesus says?
16
Stranded by Maria? Really? Looks more like stranded by a racist administration that is vehemently anti brown.
27
Let's call this out for what it is. A disgrace. The Trump admin treats P.R. like a colony. That's the bare truth. The U.S military put half a million troops and billions into Kuwait in a matter of weeks. But, now our fellow citizens are neglected and told "they whacked our budget."
24
Why the necessity to be creative - with the trump A+ relief effort - the whole island must be on easy street.
7
I read this article immediately after reading the article about a post-hurricane event in Ireland, also an island. My first thought was that I was glad that my brother and his family in County Cork won't have to deal with a visit from Trump as they recover from the devastation.
15
It's natural in a case like this for reporters to focus on those worst off-- frequently those who were struggling before the storm. But before Irma and Maria, many if not most Puerto Ricans were living very comfortable lives. On the Western end of the island new concrete houses with a small lot could be bought for well under $150,000. And those were within a short drive of gorgeous public beaches. (Think about what a home that close to the beach costs in Hawaii or Southern California.)
The environment was also lovely for another reason. According to the San Juan Star, 54% of the island was forested. This, on a hundred-mile-long island with a population the size of Iowa's. If it weren't for those now-blasted trees, there would almost certainly have been many more landslides-- and deaths.
There has been a lot of comment about the Puerto Rican government's financial problems. But that wasn't necessarily what average citizens were experiencing. The emphasis on Puerto Rico's financial problems obscures the fact that a lot of Puerto Ricans were middle-class Americans leading ordinary middle class lives-- in, actually, a particularly enjoyable part of America. The idea that they are simply poverty-stricken "losers" who won't be doing everything in their power to return to their former pleasant lives is implied by a lot of Trump's comments (i.e., "FEMA can't be there forever) but it is far, far from the reality on the island.
14
If you think most Puerto Ricans were living "ordinary middle class lives" you have not looked at your government statistics. Most Puerto Ricans live below the poverty line. That was not caused by hurricane Maria.
2
What Puerto Rico needs is a resource-loaded Critical Path Method (CPM) plan.
First a goal has to be established for when everything will be back to essentially normal (as normal as possible): 100% of the hospitals, 100% of the island with power, 100% with potable water, 100% of the roads cleared with military-type temporary bridges as required,100% with food, medical supplies, 100% phone/cell phone service, 100% gasoline and diesel at the gas and power stations, etc., etc. I would suggest that goal should be two weeks, fourteen days.
The plan would detail all the activities required to reach the goal and the type (but not the quantity) of resources needed.
The resources available now would be applied to the activities with resource leveling. This would determine their durations and the end date under the current resource availability.
Then additional resources would be requested, brought into PR, and applied to the activities on the critical path in order to reduce their durations.
After several iterations the quantity of each resource required in order to meet the goal date would be known.
One million bottles of water sounds impressive. However, it is not a lot if we compare it to the daily needs of 3.5 million people working under the hot sun without air conditioning. The quality of the reconstruction effort cannot be measured by the quantity of inputs. Only by the results.
I’ll be glad to help if asked.
6
Two weeks to restore the power grid, water supply, bridges and roads? Commerce such as food and fuel distribution to follow? Services such as medical care restored?
You should call FEMA right away, don't wait to be asked.
2
It's become abundantly clear that the left wants to rebuild Puerto Rico on the US taxpayer dime and to forgive their debt, either blown off, or US taxpayer again picking up the tab. No. Puerto Rico wants self government, they pay for it themselves. If they want the US to pay the tab, then we go back to the Foraker Act and an appointed governor and upper house of the legislature.
2
Implying that an area that has been totally devastated is inhabited by people looking for a handout, and not for help in restoring their lives is totally lacking in compassion or empathy. Houston and Florida were not devastated on this scale. Other parts of the state were able to help. New Orleans was badly damaged by Katrina, but the rest of the state could help.
The severity of the storm can be attributed to global warming, which was caused more by US mainland citizens burning coal and driving massive SUVs.
We should help them get back on their feet, even though the process will take more than a decade.
11
How undemocratic of you to suggest that Puerto Ricans should have their governor appointed for them.
2
Did you read the article?
CNN just reported that the hospital ship Comfort has only 33 patients in its 250 beds while overcrowded hospitals in PR are short of drugs and electrical power and are turning away patients. Hospitals apparently do not know how to get their patients transferred to the Comfort. Management is FEMA's middle name, but apparently not one of its strengths.
58
And still no explanation why the hospital ship is under-utilized.
10
I heard an interview on NPR today with a pastor in the USVI describing the still desperate plight of people there - our fellow Americans. They are doing the best they can day-to-day, but seem to have been forgotten too. Where is empathy, humanity, and a "can do" spirit to aid American citizens?
30
Ohio: There's a flight to Atlanta at 6:30, connection to St. Thomas, and you can be doing dangerous recovery and rebuilding work first thing in the morning. Show us what you've got.
2
HERE writes "If i may ask, how much money did the Puerto Rican government contribute after 9/11, or to the victims of any of the terrorists incidents since? They are always first in line, palm out, but you won't see them trying to help others."
Shame on you! Puerto Ricans and other Americans from the US Territories have the highest rate of military service per capita than any other state in the US. What have they contributed? How about their LIVES protecting YOUR freedoms. The current level of disrespect being shown to fellow Americans is absolutely atrocious right now, and speaks to the underlying racism and colonial attitudes of many in our society. Shameful!
5
Here: That's a very short-sighted view of what "contributing" after 9/11 means. Tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans have served in the US military and fought in every war since World War I. There are currently almost 2,000 Puerto Ricans stationed in the Middle East, fighting in the so-called "war on terror". Puerto Ricans have contributed blood, sweat, tears, and lives to help both pre and post 9/11.
The travesty is a combination of The Road and The Postman. Never has the office of President been filled by such Bafoonery and malfeasance. Who other than this fake president has put the lives of some many citizens of the Country and World at such risk?
Going down the line of succession Pence then Ryan, Orin Hatch followed by, of all people, Rex Tillerson. Sleep well.
32
Time to clean house and get rid of all of these guys....let's surgically remove them all this time, like a cancer, you need to remove all the malignant cells if you want to survive.
3
The Washington Post reports that many Puertoriquenos are drinking water that comes from certified hazardous waste sites.
Please explain to me how that is "creative?"
13
FEMA put out a memo last week warning people not to drink water from wells on Superfund sites. Problem solved. They can drink again when/if the water systems get repaired and replaced. Besides, Trump eventually tweeted that he stands with them (after he was far away from them), so they have nothing to worry about.
4
It reported that some Puerto Rican’s were so desperate for water hat they drank from contaminated sources. It’s called “die of thirst or drink bad water.”
8
Guillermo - isn't there any other option?
Trump is happy to see the destruction that Maria caused. He can now rebuild and gentrify the Island and do what America does best: intellectualize, politicize, manipulate and disregard the hardships of the least powerful and with the same intent say to the world "God Bless America".
8
I compliment the writer for showing that Puerto Ricans do not want everything done for them and that they are not lazy, as our President has suggested.
44
Puerto Rico, from this article, sounds like a great place to live. I'm not sure that many places in the US could rise so cooperatively and stoically to the present challenges.
Now let's get our government to provide the kind of help that it can and should be providing.
33
This is yet another example of how a widely accepted myth is wrong. There is this idea that when the structure of society breaks down that people turn into anarchistic animals, this simply isn't true. Humanity has been pushed far to the edge of existence before, think of the Black Death, but civilization carried on. Why? Because we are social animals, and deep within us the rule is written that the group will always triumph over the individual.
23
This administration’s response of to the crisis would be laughable, if people weren’t dying as a direct consequence. At this moment, we are not asking to vote for President or for a change in our status. (Not that we couldn’t; Puerto Rico, both geographically and racially is an Electoral College nightmare). The inhabitants of Puerto Rico must become free to lead our ports and our immediate seas, currently under siege by the Jones Act. I hope the newly found attention to Puerto Rico opens doors to actual, positive change. Please keep on reporting. All of the stories.
22
My friend Barbara's daughter lives on the outskirts of San Juan with her husband and 15 year old son. It's not a remote area but access to resources such as fuel for cooking and electricity is so limited that mother and son have left P.R. and come to stay with Barbara here in N.J. for the time being. Barbara tells me that the Jones Act was lifted - for all of 10 days - which slows down relief efforts from other countries and makes everything much more expensive. (The Jones Act, according to Barbara, needs to be lifted permanently.)
I hope the Times will keep the issues facing P.R. recovery front and center. The situation for so many millions is so dire,
much worse than hurricane survivors in Texas and Fla since they aren't on the mainland, are mostly people of color who don't speak English (gasp!) and don't have representation in Congress. (I think what's needed is to make P.R. a State instead of a territory.)
I have already written a check to my church earmarked for P.R. relief efforts (not that I have lots to spare), and may make this a regular habit for awhile, if I can swing it. It simply blows my mind that so many people have little or no access to clean water, when I just have to turn on the tap.
39
That is a lie. Puerto Rico citizens pay income tax to the United States government just like we do.
6
Some of the kinds of taxes paid by the people of Puerto Rico:
Social Security taxes
payroll taxes
import taxes
export taxes
commodity taxes
Most people in Puerto Rico do not pay Federal income taxes. However, they do pay local income taxes, and in many cases these are higher than Federal income taxes would be. What’s more, nearly half of the people on the mainland do not pay income taxes. They may have to file, but tax credits and deductions mean that many people in the United States do not pay federal income taxes.
2
The rest of the story....... a start place to become informed is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_Puerto_Rico .... and other websites are also available. IRS regulations determine for the islanders what type of income and who pays federal income tax, and many islanders do. Taxes are paid within other frameworks as well. Think it's unfair? Tell your representatives. If the islanders are following the law then they are. Period.
The Times keeps on telling us the problems people are having in Puerto Rico.
I notice they report about communities that are hard to get to.
Places where you expect help would be needed but also places where it is hard to get the help there.
It should not come as a surprise that they still need help.
It should be expected.
It should also be expected that people should help themselves and not just wait for help.
If a bridge falls down it should be expected that the people there would devise something that would solve some of the problems that creates.
The Times tell us nothing about towns that are not so hard to get to and are probably getting the help that is needed.
The official count is that there were 45 deaths because of the storm.
That number is remarkably very low.
The number of deaths in New Orleans after Katrina was almost two thousand.
That would give you a story that doesn't serve their purpose.
They don't really care about Puerto Rico.
They only write these articles so people will blame Trump.
This is why they do not report on the help that is getting to the Island.
They don't report all the news.
They tell you what they want you to know.
12
Would you expect people in Naples, FL or Houston to be taking care of themselves four weeks after their hurricanes hit?
28
Of course not.
Google the YouTube video by American vets who are in P.R. and actually know something about conditions there. Did you attack all the homeowners in low-lying Texas and Florida for being stupid about building in flood zones? I doubt it.
3
I just came back from Puerto Rico, and my whole family lives there. There are 48 dead to date, but there are 113 people missing. The death toll is inaccurate because telecommunications, now almost 1 month after the storm, are inadequate. The number of deaths from lack of oxygen, food, water and electricity may never be fully known. Puerto Ricans are doing their best to help themselves. I saw it. I did it. But there are areas only the government can handle. Puerto Ricans can't be expected to fix their own electricity, water, cell towers, especially when they can't even get a phone call reliably!!! This is where FEMA and the military step in. A full 86 percent of the island remains without electricity 1 month after the storm. It's unacceptable. PR and the USVI have 3.6 million American citizens. Yet they were allocated 17,000 troops, almost a third of what was sent to LA after Katrina (where 500,000 live) and less than was sent to Haiti (an independent country) by Obama. My family lives in Caguas, a mere 16 miles south of San Juan, and to this day, not even the main hospital in that town has electricity. You stand in line for hours at the supermarket to find almost nothing. Going anywhere in the town takes three or four times as long because none of the traffic lights work and not enough police officers can man them. I can continue giving examples... This is the United States, and Trump's tweets and his overall response have been inadequate. PERIOD.
8
Trump's dismissal of the Puerto Rican people is yet more evidence that he cannot do his job. These strong people are, indeed, coming up with creative ways to get by, but their (and our) government should take care of the situation so that they are not forced to be creative.
Please, NYT, give us daily updates on Puerto Rico. It feels like it has fallen off the map, and we count on you to keep it ON the map.
14
Don't forget the Virgin Islands! We actually bought (vs. took as spoils of war, as in the case of Puerto Rico) and they are hurting badly as well.
11
The U.S. did pay for the Spanish possessions, including Puerto Rico, under the Treaty of Paris (1899).
Texas, Florida and CA first!
Let's get our priorities straight....
5
You do know PR is part of the US, right?
21
What priorities? To neglect US citizens who live in Puerto Rico and US Viirgin Islands? To forget that these places are part of the USA?
13
Ummmm.... he’s pretty much ignoring CA too.
1
Hey Trump, how’s that great relief effort in Puerto Rico?
16
USNS Comfort sits offshore nearly empty. What is going on?
37
Are these the same people that that golf cart riding trump accused of being lazy.
65
Puerto Rico was used for a money con game stealing US taxpayer money that was never used for the intended purposes. A little Banana Republic with its own despot. Where’d the Dan money go and how did congress watch?
4
It's not a banana republic. It's part of the US because we stole it from Spain. You break it, you buy it. It's ours to fix.
30
You’re mistaken - my point was that’s what the leaders there did - I hate Trump
2
I know it’s not a banana republic my friend. I refer to how it’s being treated. My compassion for Puerto Rico is huge! I also know very well the history and timeline precisely. We made them US citizens for WWI and 18,000 served in the war. No matter what they are our citizens and the children and grandchildren will always be as well.
11
Why on earth has the U.S. military (national guard, navy, et. al) not been airlifting supplies to the remote areas of Puerto Rico out beyond San Juan? If airlifts have occurred or are occurring, why are they not reported more widely?
70
Airlifted to where, exactly? The PR infrastructure has been destroyed.
1
Airlifted to the remote villages. How can the greatest and most expensive military in the world not have helicopters?
1
Are you 12? Did you serve in or know what the U.S. military is capable of? Do you not know or read how many invasions ( The Pacific Islands) Kuwait/Iraq, North Africa, were made by hundreds of thousands of troops and the materiel to support them? P.R is but 100 by 35 miles. The Army could build the access in weeks to every inch of the island.
2
Great for them, I wonder how much resources were used up by the reporters being there that could have helped victims.
8
Good point. Reporters should ignore these people and stay back in headquarters so no one ever has to hear about these people's plight. It will toughen them up.
44
How do you know the reporters didn't bring supplies with them?
18
Reporters do nothing except embarrass Trump and we can't have that. Besides, the hurricane was Obama's fault.
22
We live in the States, but have friends and family in PuertRico. The US response to the genuine emergency there has been appallingly bad. Even large, prosperous communities are still. without water or electricity after three weeks. Both the President and the Vice-President flew in for
photo ops and promised the US would be there for as long as it takes. These were just flat-out lies. Puerto Rico has been systematically exploited for decades by US corporations and the federal government. Nothing short of criminal.
73
Wait. The generous loving President Trump threw then towels. “They loved it”.
Gee what a guy throwing towels the way you throw a frisbee to a dog. Fun for all. That’s how he’d feed people too. That’s how he shows leadership. Obama would have walked with the people, literally and figuratively and with real humanity as a real leader, a real compassionate human being and provided intelligence j response. Trump has to go. The US is unraveling at home and abroad.
57
But Trump threw them paper towels to mop up the mess with!
8
And Trump left them with a Trump Golf Course in Puerto Rico that went .......wait for it....bankrupt.
11
"Buen trabajo, Brownie." (Updated Bushism)
"A !" (Trump revises in a new each month)
Thank you for the solid reporting on how local communities everywhere take care of each other in hard times.
Trump took the credit via FEMA for how Texans, Floridians and their neighbors came together with the knowledge of Katrina in their rearview mirrors.
Then, when PR was devastated, Trump attacked the people because the devastation was so great that his unprepared response reflected poorly on him.
So, good job fine Americans everywhere for handling all the devastation, from PR to Cali.
Because guess what people -- with no leadership at the top it looks like we're on our own.
The GOP likes it because we're all just rugged individualists.
But the truth is: It Takes a Village
40
I hear you. Americans are not being represented by the President. Viva Puerto Rico!!
13
DAOh
the truth is the governor said the U.S.. is doing a very good job.
and the military is there helping.
2
The Governor is a political and moral coward who is afraid of being bullied on twitter by Trump. That's all that is about. And sounds like the military might be there but they sure aren't getting the job done, now, are they? Or people would have food and water by now, forget the electricity, they should have FOOD and WATER by now!!
7
The bond holders of Puerto Rican debt made a bad investment. They had hopes to profit mightily off disadvantaged Puerto Rican's for pennies on the dollar. Even Donald Trump made a bad investment decision in Puerto Rico ....one of many....he declared bankruptcy and walked away. He left smaller businesses and the island in the losing position. Yet, Puerto Rican's are supposed to save the investments of those at the top of the economic food chain. But, of course, they are mostly brown people....and some black. What is going on is obvious.
41
And the president indicated that they would not be getting their money. And to think it has anything to do with race is well racist.
3
I read that Trump walked away w/ $33 million of PR's $ after yet another "bad deal". Why is this not headlines? Seems he owes them the $ back if not legally, then morally & ethically. He took their $ and should return it during their time of crisis.Let's see those tax returns too. Still waiting.....
1
What is the USNS Comfort for except to help people like Lilia Rivera? What is it being used for anyway?
37
How did the leaders of Puerto Rico betray the people by running deep into unfathomable debt, money that seemingly went into a black hole without reinforcing infrastructure,and human services including earthquake readiness, water sources, disaster relief and more. The personal finances of the leaders should be audited. Meanwhile large pharmaceutical companies producing about 15% of US drugs with employees taken advantage of and hotel chains flourishing on the island while the place was in total decay, backwards and vulnerable! There should be a congressional inquiry on where the hell did the money go and what lobbyists and campaign donations are tied to the astronomical amount of US taxpayer money unaccounted for!
27
You are aware the Republican Government eliminated the preferred manufacturing legislation for Puerto Rico. As a result they list jobs. A lot of their manufacturing also left for cheaper chores as it did in the US. Years d diminished revenues, a terrible recession and bad politics. But what exactly does that have to do with Maria. The hurricane washed away 100 bridges in a very mountainous islands. Ditto for the electrical grid.
8
I agree that the personal finances of Puerto Rico’s leaders should be audited, starting with the leader at the top, Donald J. Trump.
21
If we want accountability, we need to get rid of the putrid swamp in the White House. Trump's minions are taking down government information sites as fast as they can, to hide their looting of the US Treasury.
11
Last week, Centro de Periodismo Investigativo reported, with photos, the presence of an unidentified, armed militia force infiltrating Puerto Rico. When asked, the masked militia personnel refused to identify who they worked for are what they were up to in Puerto Rico. Speculation is that these are Blackwater (now called Academi) mercenaries -- the same force that protected wealthy and white survivors of Hurricane Katrina while threatening poor and black citizens seeking aid, refuge and escape from the disaster.
It is known that Trump has been considering an appointment for Eric Prince, Academi's owner, now that his sister, Betsy DeVos is in charge of the Department of Education. It seems likely that Trump has contracted with Academi, given its reputation for projecting race-based violence with apparent impunity. But I have no idea how trustworthy this source of news is in the era of runaway rumors and photoshopped fake news. It would be great if The Times would check this out.
The link to the story is at:
periodismoinvestigativo.com/2017/10/ masked-and-armed-with-rifles-military-security-firms-roam-streets-of-san-juan/
[Be sure to remove the space before "masked-and-armed . . ." if you cut and paste.]
25
Except Blackwater changed their name over a decade ago.
1
The name changes are an attempt to distance themselves from the reputation they earned as Blackwater. The company became Xe Services in 2009 and, with a change of investment status, Academi in 2011. They have a subsidiary unit that contracts out "security guards" and they are a subsidiary of a holding company. But most people still recognize them as Blackwater and need updating on the most recent name change or corporate entanglement.
3
The Virgin Islands were hit by category 5 hurricanes twice; they need help and a voice too.
59
They are getting help, and having a voice is almost nothing. In fact getting that voice uses up resources that locals could benefit from.
1
I hope the weather stays nice for them there. Without any more setbacks, no telling what they'll be able to accomplish for themselves.
6
Puerto Rico should take this is an opportunity to rebuild a decentralized electrical power grid based mostly on renewables. Energywise, that would put them at least a couple of generations of us on the mainland.
29
He wouldn't do that because it wouldn't burn coal. Got to have more black lung disease to support the health care industry.
5
I red they were looking into what they could do with solar even here in the short term. Good idea
2
America doesn't deserve these people...
16
I agree. People who have managed to continue to survive for 119 years as a nation, even after being invaded 119 years ago by another nation (much newer) that is thousand of times bigger than all the PR islands together, which had no military because it had no enemies and was destroyed economically and the best land taken and gifted to people in the states, show quite some resilience. Since you are from New York City, surely you know that PUERTO RICO means RICH PORT, which is exactly what it was then. That was one of the two reason for the invasion. The second PR territorial waters that all ships going to the states had to sail, when planes were still rare. It wasn't to save us and it certainly was not because Spain lost a war, because that would be the same as saying that the British could lose a war and give away Canada. Same relationship as that of Spain and Puerto Rico. By the way PR is a colony and is not self ruling. Plus, America are TWO continents, as in North and South America. Every one in both is American. You must mean in the US.
12
Good Carmen, straighten her out! While Trump was dodging the draft Puerto Ricans were serving in the Army out of proportion to their numbers. El Grito de Lares! Arriba! Puerto Rico arriba!
12
These are the bravest of Americans. God bless them all.
24
What did they do that was brave.
1
Where did the US taxpayer money they owe US go? It’s a huge amount. How can the country be in such an impoverished under evolved state? It makes no sense!
Water sources, infrastructure, education, health and everything else! Where’s our money Puerto Rican leaders?? Let’s see your bank accounts, homes and travel!!
8
Look for the profiteering by those benefitting from the Jones act who cause goods entering PR to be twice the cost of elsewhere.
The Puerto Rican government may not have been squeaky clean. But, you can be assured the large business interests were well taken care of....
15
i hope your use of the word country was just a generality -- as Puerto Rico is part of the United States. So it would be akin to asking why is Mississippi so impoverished ...
20
And for many of the same reasons as well.
3
Propaganda piece to make it sound like the Puerto Ricans were not aided by the US government.
3
Guess what? They are not being aided by their US government, and that's according to military and volunteer veterans of the ground there. 80% have no power. Half have no clean water. Many are going hungry because agriculture was destroyed. New supplies are costly due to reimposition of the Jones Act after 10 days. We treated Haiti better. Puerto Rico is part of the US and deserves the same humanitarian help as Florida and Houston.
33
Previous propaganda makes it seem that P Ricans don't pay federal taxes. While there I was required to file the federal income tax form and PAY, same as my father and my brother. All P Ricans that work pay the federal pay roll tax, otherwise zero SS. In fact, do you pay federal "tariffs", another of the many words for federal taxes. Every single thing entering PR does, including food, and if you add that PR is only allowed to use ships with the US flag, the most expensive in the planet, that makes everything in PR more expensive that in the states. That's what that mentioned Jones Act does, among other things. Funny thing, the US can and does use any ship with or without the US flag. Guess which the US uses the most. Hint: not the most expensive in the planet. If you are talking hurricane. Yes, PR is being aided by the US military, they are doing most of the work, along with volunteers from the US, PR and other nations. That FEMA and Homeland Security are helping is like saying FEMA helped during Katrina, Sandy, Texas, Florida, etc. Another hint: go to YouTube and listen to what people in Texas and Florida are saying about what they are being feed (assuming the food actually show up, which it doesn't often) in FEMA's shelters. I vote for send FEMA to feed those people and put the military in charge and a lot more will get done. Can't beat them for hard work and efficiency. P Ricans are per capita, the one group with the highest participation in the US military.
16
Puerto Ricans do pay a personal income tax, but the proceeds on income from Puerto Rican sources go only to the Puerto Rican Government, not the US Treasury. I believe the tax rates and tax forms used are the same as in the rest of the US, but this tax instead goes directly to Puerto Rico. The only tax Puerto Ricans pay on personal income to the US Treasury are for Social Security and Medicare, which don't go into the general fund. What bearing this has on the Federal Government's obligations to Puerto Rican residents I don't know.
5
Ingenuity and community - how mankind has overcome adversity since the dawn of our time.
Politics aside, I hope some folks are asking long, hard questions about the current administration and the adequacy of their response. These are U.S. citizens. We have the resources and an obligation to help them. It is a crime we are not doing more.
112
We don't have infinite resources, so of course the response is less than perfect. What are you doing personally???
Those American PRs citzens that do leave the island of their birth because of Maria, I hope half move to Florida and half to Texas and vote the American response that should be.
7
Easy there Vulc. You can attack the message or the messenger but not both.
2
There are so many valid reasons to remove Trump from our presidency and one of the most urgent ones, in the top ten, is his total callousness, disdain, contempt, unconcern, and utter heartlessness for the lives of Puerto Rican Americans who need clean water and electricity now. Many may die from disease and bacteria because of the lack of clean water for drinking or hygiene but Trump is busy trying to get a package of enormous tax cuts for the extremely wealthy, and small percentage of Americans, through Congress. These are the only Americans he cares about or represents.
This caricature of a man and a president has to go. At this point he could be replaced by a thumbtack and we would all be better off.
164
Puerto Rico belongs to the United States. All Puerto Ricans are United States citizens. The response and coordination to the disaster have been terrible. We need a lot more help NOW. It's already been a month with no electricity. This is shameful and wrong. Power pole crews must be brought from the mainland ASAP before more people die and suffer.
211
We had some tornadoes around here some time back it was several months before the power was back on. Here on the mainland.
1
Where was that, exactly, that 3.5 million people on the mainland had no electricity for months after tornadoes? Do tell us.
19
When Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida, we were without power for 2 months. It was a trying time. Stay strong, Puerto Rico. You will overcome.
1
Proof positive that Puerto Ricans are Americans. They "get 'er done."
But they need debt relief to recover.
Congress should vote that the Federal government will assume all debt of Puerto Rico and its agencies and authorities outstanding on the day Maria struck.
20
Oh, please, people all over the world get things done. Don't be so chauvinistic.
6
most of us are pretty soft and wouldn't know what to do under such stressful situations - we're one day to a week away from running out of food or supplies in our modern infrastructure - we all need to become more resilient in these days of increasing climate instability - we need to work with the earth to make the climate more resilient. no better time than now to begin.
21
Imagine of the Trump family had to persevere after a storm like this. They would no doubt perish without their gold toilets.
64
What a joke that is.
On the contrary, they would go around buying up property for cents on the dollar, get a loan from a Chinese bank to pay for it all and end up even better off than before. These are people who know how to profit from disaster.
12
A good show of resilience, teamwork, and calm. Hopefully the spirit and action of the U.S. can match that of the local American spirit and action displayed in this article. Puerto Rico, Texas, Florida, and California are giving us all opportunity to demonstrate our character.
15
The resilience and creativity of these people in solving the problems left by Maria is heartwarming. They cannot live the way they are living now forever, though. ir
Unfortunately, the aid package passed by Congress for disaster relief for all disasters is going to be inadequate. I was appalled at its stinginess. It won't even cover the needs of Texas. I fear that Puerto Rico, third in line after Texas and Florida, will get little of the rebuilding funds though they need them desperately to rebuild infrastructure such as missing bridges, delivery of clean water and power.
29
Sure they can live forever without electricity, people did it a long time ago, they can do it again.
1
Reminds me of what happened here in parts of VT after Irene hit. We had entire communities totally cut off from the rest of the state. People did what needed to be done. Some who had power equipment even worked on road reconstruction. There were some clever uses of ladders to enable people to get down(or up) from where a bridge or overpass no longer was. Really amazing how creative people were. Very generous too in terms of supplies, materials and time donated by so many.
The biggest difference though is that there were entire areas of VT that were untouched. The resources could be sent to the affected areas along with the volunteers and supplies. Most of the state still had power. Plus we are part of the contiguous US so that helped in terms of inputting assistance.
I truly feel for what Puerto Rico is going through. When they come out the other end I know they will have gone through hard times but I hope they will be stronger for it. I don't know if we are giving them enough help; I suspect we are not. I'm not sure what exactly to do about that.
110
Great points, but what exactly is "enough"? And if you don't think it is enough donate to a charity that is working there.
The 5 living former presidents offer to ensure 100% of the money goes to aide, while other charities have operating costs to cover. You can choose which geographic area gets your donation if you wish.
https://www.oneamericaappeal.org/#donations
1
Can someone in the White House read this article to Mr. Trump and tell him this is not fake news?
153
In the new earth, the one climate is shaping, These people deserve praise. Out of this more fragile environment come these survivers
19
An illustration of the old adage "Necessity is the mother of invention."
Hoorah for Puerto Rico problem-solvers!
22
Thank you for this story. It helps to show the people of Puerto Rico are doing what they can to help themselves and their neighbors.
Now the question is, are we, as a country, doing everything we can to help?
74
I agree. Are we as a country, doing everything that we can do to help? If not, who should we blame?
If Trump is the one and only problem, the NYT should be writing articles describing his personal culpability with specificity. If Trump is not the one and only problem, the NYT should explain why.
7
Some of them, and if you think more is needed, please do something with your own resources, the government is doing plenty.
1
Of course we are not doing "everything" we could, but the federal government has many other obligations. Are you personally doing everything you could? Do you have savings you could donate? The problem is the issue is too big to fix immediately, and of course resources are limited.
1
I hope you send this article to President Trump who has done nothing but insult the Puerto Ricans - nothing includes sending inadequate aid and personnel and threatening to withdraw even the inadequate aid and personnel sent to date.
I am sick of hearing about Puerto Rico’s pre-Maria lousy electric system. It could have been the best in the world and it still would have been totally destroyed by Maria.
The federal Government funded electric system repair in Florida, New Orleans and Houston. Were those systems perfect? I doubt it. Time to step up and do the same for PR before more people suffer and die without electricity no matter how ingenious they are.
Natalie Zuckerman
122
Trump is only good at tossing paper towels.
17
Hey they are worth more than his words.
4
You are misinformed. The feds only pay for public infrastructure. The utilities pay to fix the storm damage. Now perhaps some few are government utilities and might get assistance, but the vast majority are private and will pay for repairs through rate increases.
These are examples of 'invention being the power (or mother) of necessity'.
Too bad for PR's power grid. Already been invented.
6
Reading this splendid reporting, I wonder if significant parts of Puerto Rico were always verging on being unlivable and should have been public lands left wild. Cities can and should be protected, but remote areas of Puerto Rico might be impossible to protect and as such impossible for homes.
Was there ever any planning about the settling of home building on Puerto Rico?
14
The same can be said about many parts of the US. Much of Houston's sprawl and lack of zoning destroyed natural barriers to flooding and made dispersement of heavy rains harder. New Orleans has similar issues. Much, if not most, of our coastal development is unwise, especially on barrier islands. To single out Puerto Rico for more onerous standards is unfair and smacks of a double standard at a time of unprecedented disaster when our fellow Americans citizens there need our help.
70
Probably no better than planning home building in Houston but that did not exclude sufficient aid to Houston.
10
Probably about as much planning as mainlanders who built entire cities in the desert. Or North Carolinians who built homes on barrier islands. Or Californians who built on hills.
32
These are the people we should be celebrating and supporting as much as we can. They have the spirit of our ancestors who were immigrants and survived through determination and this kind of creative intelligence and community strength.
The Trump family would probably perish in such a disaster. They probably couldn't find their way out of a paper bag...
169
The idea of any member of the Trump family trying to cope & survive under these conditions is unimaginable. Consider the reality of surviving in PR today. Donald Trump (Vietnam draft dodger supposedly due to bone spurs making walking hard for him), Ivanka & Jerrod? Melania? Ivana? Marla? Eric & Don Jr? No golf carts, no servants & nannies, no big game to shoot, just hardship and extreme living challenges every day....no food, no water, no housing, no electricity, no medical help or RX etc. It's laughable if it was not so very tragic.
1