Hurricane Maria left a path of destruction in Puerto Rico, leaving most of its citizens without access to electricity and clean drinking water. The island’s residents talk about their daily struggle to survive and make end’s meet.
Published by USA TODAY on Oct 4, 2017
People are tired, struggling, and there are communities still not receiving support or aid as of October 4th. Daily activities in some areas are only about getting resources each day. One resident says she spends the entire day looking for drinking water, the next day is spent waiting to get gasoline; it takes an entire day to find water for household uses.
Emergency medical facilities are operational in some places, but they are overwhelmed. Emergency medical responders are concerned about what will happen when they leave. They also worry that there are people needing care who can’t get medical help because they don’t have gas to drive to the emergency clinics, which can be 50 miles away. Local medical offices are not up and runnig as yet.
The resources aren’t here, according to some officials.
In the midst of the aftermath, focus in on day-to-day survival for residents. Not only does the island territory need to recover from the hurricane, but it also needs to find a new way to rebuild its infrastructure and economy. The economy of Puerto Rico has been in a state of failure for many years now. And the big source of income every year is tourism. That season should be beginning right now – normally the high season for travelers to come to the beaches and resorts will last for perhaps the next six months. With the damage everywhere, those tourists dollars will not be arriving this year, which will only cripple the economy further. Things will get worse for Puerto Rico’s economic situation before they get better.
GulfCarib has post-hurricane recovery solutions for new infrastructure systems
GulfCarib has the ability to aid in long-term energy solutions that can stabilize the energy resources the island needs, and systems for storing energy that will ‘bank’ energy for future energy supplies. Waste-to-Energy plants are currently in the planning stages in other Caribbean locations, which can provide power while solving critical safe and clean waste disposal solutions. These systems could be implemented in Puerto Rico and along with other new technologies, help build a new and modern infrastructure.