Hurricane Fiona is expected to hit Bermuda hard as a Category four
storm as early as tomorrow. But when it's saturated Puerto Rico earlier
this week it did extensive damage as a Category one storm and set
back the modest progress made since the island was hit by Hurricane
Maria. Five years ago. William Branham reports on how the storm has
affected communities across the island.
Just days ago, these lakes between houses were in fact roads.
Since then. Hurricane Fiona has moved on from Puerto Rico.
Leaving the island and its residents to reckon with the damage left
behind.
For Suma Vasquez. The memories and fear she felt five years ago with
Hurricane Maria came rushing back to
Where it says
Maria happened. It was nighttime and only my mom and I remained.
She was 93 years old, bedridden, disabled and we almost drowned.
I couldn't leave her. I thought this was going to be the same or
worse. She had finally rebuilt her roof before Fiona hit and this
time it withstood the storm.
She was one of the lucky ones. Many homes across the island were
badly damaged. Vasquez lives in the fishing town of Los Neuron hose
in Vega Baja. It's located in the wetlands between the Sabako River
and a natural reserve.
Founded by freed slaves over 100 years ago. It's a tight knit, family
oriented community. Medina, One of Vasquez's neighbors and mother
of two has to sweep up Fiona's mess. The storm dumped an estimated
20 to 30 inches of rain across the island.
The book overflowed its banks and sent two ft of water into her home
to see what she could Medina stacked furniture on top of her bed
during the storm to her mom's house because it's on higher ground.
Ricardo Laureano works on flood control and other projects here,
he says. In a warming world, these kinds of disasters will only become
more common.
People need to start being more aware of how we need to manage climate
change. We can extend our lives. If we do a good job, restoring the
ecosystem. That's what we need here. Marissa Rojas, a local community
leader, says the aftermath of the storms is always the real challenge.
Impact on one of the biggest impacts are the floods Many times. People
don't even know where it's going to come from during Maria. The effect
was the next day, not during the hurricane.
For many, it will be a long and bumpy road to recovery. As the sun
goes down and lost Iran hose, volunteers distribute food and drinking
water for those who need it.
About 40% of the island still doesn't have potable water.
But this aid isn't enough to calm the greater feeling of gloom here
have no water, no electricity. We are in the ends of time.
It's even worse on the other side of the island, where the storm
has left its mark on Yoko, located in the Southwest, It was one of
the hardest hit towns. Ramos just bought a house here about a month
before Fiona badly damaged it. We were told that this area was flood
prone, but not to this magnitude and what we're dealing with now
that surprised me. We were not prepared.
Now, having strengthened into a Category four storm, Fiona is making
its way North.
Heavy winds of damage Turks and Caicos after dumping heaps of rain
on the Dominican Republic, it's set to hit Bermuda next.
But the community's Fiona has torn apart along the way are now left
to pick up the pieces.