GETTY
On September 20th, 2017, a powerful hurricane ripped through the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. The devastation was so great it would take until August 14th of 2018 for electricity to be restored to the last home that lost power in the turmoil of the storm. The amount of lives lost in the aftermath were profound, with the official death toll rising to 2,975 souls after an independent study published by George Washington University reported its findings, discrediting the Twitter accounts of our current president, Donald Trump.
In the haze and devastation of the storm, we spoke to Kisai Ponce, Content Marketing Manager at IOneDigital and Puertorriqueña, about what she witnessed in the fallout. She explained to MN the hope she has for her island, and the steps we can take to help advocate for and assist our fellow Americans.
MN: As someone who was on the ground during Hurricane Maria, how did you feel when you saw today was the anniversary? What thoughts/ feeling/emotions came up?
Kisai: Honestly, it is frustrating that a year later families are still living in shelters. Local business are still closing. Doctors are leaving the island. The electricity is still going off, etc, etc. It feels like it’s going to take forever to recover. I’ve been talking to my mom and friends all day about reliving what we experienced. I feel so proud to be a Puertorriqueña and to know that my people converted a negative situation to a positive one by working together without the help of the government. Technology sometimes makes us forget the real meaning of life and to appreciate and have conversations our loved ones. We didn’t have power, water, phone reception or wifi for a 1month or so. So the only thing we could do is talk. This video demonstrates the power and creative strength of our people despite our circumstances.
MN: Just recently, on August 28th, Governor Rosselló revised the island’s death toll to 2,975 people. Did this come as a shock to you? Why/why not?
Kisai: This wasn’t shocking at all, we all knew a lot of people died and 11 deaths was not real. It’s sad that Gov Rosselló, as many politicians wanting to protect their name or status forget about the important role of being a leader. One of the reasons PR didn’t received more support, was because he lied about the death toll. It took journalist David Begnaud account of the real story of what was happening in PR for us to get international media attention forcing the PR and US government to take action.
MN: We all were appalled when Donald Trump doubled down recently saying the the government did a “fantastic” job when it comes to relief efforts in Puerto Rico. What are your thoughts/feelings about how the government handled and continues to handle the crisis?
Kisai: I can’t wait for Donald Trump to be impeached! We are still seeing where his empathy lies. I’m frustrated that he continues to lie, when even in an airplane above PR you can see the damage and blue tarps that serve as roofs. This man invested millions of dollars in PR before being a President and he couldn’t even help a bit in the aftermath. Also, please don’t forget that after two weeks after the hurricane Trump visited the island and threw paper towels at families that lost everything.
MN: Do you feel racism against POC played a role in how ineffectively the crisis was handled? Why/why not?
Kisai: I feel that a lot of misinformation and ignorance played a huge role in how the crisis was handled. Most of the people in the world only learned that we are U.S citizens because of the hurricane. Another issue we had was that Trump didn’t allowed other territories and countries to help us. For example, he didn’t let other countries transport help by water. Airplanes were not an option because satellites were damaged after María.
MN: How were you and your family members affected by Hurricane Maria? What still affects them in the aftermath to this day?
Kisai: My family had to make a plan in order for my sister and I to protect the house, while my parents stayed in their nursing home taking care of their employees and patients. Day 1 after the hurricane, we had to rescue/help our parents, because all of the tall trees and electric cables fell blocking the entrance (so there was no way out if an emergency came up, only a helicopter would be an option. We didn’t have phone reception so we couldn’t call if something would have happened. Nothing happened luckily). The neighbors and my family had to cut trees for 2 days so we could clear the road. My family used their nursing home to provide shelter to employees that lost their homes and provided warm food for neighbors. The hard part was that police, government, etc, didn’t help nursing homes or business owners till 1 month or so later. So what are the lasting affects? PTSD is real, we are still losing power/water every time it rains. Families are still living in shelters and many young professionals have left the island.
MN: What can people here do to help with relief efforts? I know a lot of people feel empathy towards the tragedy but feel paralyzed with solutions on how to help.
Kisai: The best way to help is to visit the island, spend your money on tourism, local business and visit the families/communities that are still struggling.
Also, don’t forget about the animals! Adopt or donate money to organizations like this one.
MN: What do you want the world to know about the people of Puerto Rico?
Kisai: I want the world to know that we’re more than Maria, we’re U.S Citizens. We’ve been forever resilient, and we’re never going to lose our smile and spirit. Even in the darkest hours, we laugh and stay positive. Also, Christmas is coming up, so it’s a great time to visit the island, and please know there is no Christmas like a Puerto Rican Christmas (pasteles, coquito, arroz con gandules, and more food).
