Hurricanes Irma and Maria lead to devastating and widespread destruction across places like the Florida Keys, the Leeward Islands, Cuba, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and more. The first storm began forming in the later days of August and the last storm did not completely dissipate until mid-October. Both storms led to well over 200 deaths as well as the mass destruction of cities, homes and even people’s livelihoods with sustained wind speeds of 170 mph and over. In order to gain a much more personal perspective on the true devastation of both storms, I made the decision to interview one of my friends, Isabel Gerardino, a fellow sophomore at the University of Dayton, regarding how the storms have impacted herself, her friends and family, and her life in Puerto Rico.

1. What part of Puerto Rico are you from?

San Juan, Puerto Rico - the capitol. It’s the commercial point of Puerto Rico.

2. Who do you live with?

My parents are divorced, I either stay with my mom in an apartment in Miramar or I stay with my dad at his house in Cupey near Trujillo Alto. I have three siblings: an older brother, a younger brother, and a younger sister.

3. How far does either of your parents live from the coast?

My mom lives about a 5-minute drive from the coast and my dad lives approximately 7-12 minutes from the coast.

4. How did you, your family and your friends prepare for Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria?

Everyone I knew was buying as much canned food and gasoline as they could; all of the stores were sold out. Everyone was putting tormentera on their windows. There was a lot of migration during this time too.

5. Were you at UD when the hurricanes hit? Were you worried about your area?

Yes. I was really worried about the mountains and the center of the island because that would’ve been where the hurricane would’ve had the most damage, where the eye of storms passed through. I was very nervous because I couldn’t be with my family while I was at UD.

6. How long was it until you finally returned to Puerto Rico from UD?

I returned to Puerto Rico 3 months later.

7. How badly was your area affected?

Everything was affected in one way or another, whether it had a short-term effect or a long-term effect. Many homes, buildings, offices and malls were completely destroyed. My family and friends have told me that the harshest thing about the storms was the wind. One even said that Puerto Rico looked like a war zone. The winds were somewhere around 170 mph. I returned to Puerto Rico when people, nature and things were beginning to rebuild themselves – mostly nature. After 3 months, everything was just so different. There would be people waiting in the streets for hours for food, shelter and water. The relationships among Puerto Ricans changed also. There is a newfound sense of community present.

8. Were any of your families' or friends' houses destroyed? Did your own suffer any damage?

The windows broke in my mom’s apartment so it flooded. There was a lot of water damage – my mom is still remodeling. In Utuado, my friend’s house was completely destroyed. There were a lot of fallen trees that either wrecked cars or broken doors and windows.

9. Can you describe, in your own words, the level of commitment the U.S. has had in helping Puerto Rico?

There is a company that pays FEMA to hire employees to help with relief efforts in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands because many people lost their jobs after the hurricanes. The economy froze for a moment as a result of all of the effects of the hurricane. Many had lost transportation to get to their jobs and many places of employment were completely destroyed. From what people told me, most of the help that was given was privatized and we relied on people volunteering to help us.

10. How is Puerto Rico fairing today, months after the hurricanes hit? What kinds of resources do the people of Puerto Rico still need?

More than 50 percent of Puerto Rico still doesn’t have power at all. For others, the power comes and goes. After the hurricanes, Trump waived the Jones Act, which states that every import and export from and to Puerto Rico is required to be transported by a U.S. ship. This allowed other countries to send us resources.

11. What are some ways that people can help Puerto Rico?

Definitely look for those companies and volunteering services that are looking for people who want to contribute to relief efforts.

In order to help Puerto Rico, consider donating to a non-profit such as:

Water Mission

Mercy Corps

Project HOPE or

Heart to Heart International

You can also consider volunteering for organizations such as:

Habitat for Humanity

National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster

World Hope International home or

Hope Heroes

If you cannot donate or volunteer your time, help to raise awareness. Your voice can be very impactful for others. Connect with fellow Puerto Ricans and find out what you can do to help. And remember

“It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving.”
Mother Teresa