SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Hurricane Fiona is dumping more rain on Puerto Rico. The deluge comes a day after the storm knocked out power and water to most of the island.
National Guard troops have rescued hundreds of people who got stranded. The governor warned that it could take days to get the lights back on. Authorities said at least 1,300 people spent the night in shelters across the island.
The blow from Fiona was made more devastating because Puerto Rico has yet to recover from Hurricane Maria, which killed nearly 3,000 people and destroyed the power grid in 2017. Five years later, more than 3,000 homes on the island are still covered by blue tarps.
So, how can you help?
Locally, Latino Communications is working to gather resources to assist with disaster relief efforts in Puerto Rico. To assist them, Tanya Rodriguez-Hodges said you can donate here.
The American Red Cross said it has disaster teams standing by in Puerto Rico to help people impacted by Hurricane Fiona, which hit as a Category 1 hurricane, causing disastrous flooding, landslides and leaving the entire island without power.
The organization also said that flooding, mudslides & debris have made it difficult to assess damage & restore power, but Red Cross workers are working with officials to determine needs and will help with damage assessment as soon as it is safe.
For more information about how to donate, click here.
World Central Kitchen works to provide food and meals directly to those suffering from humanitarian or climate crises. On Twitter, the organization announced that they currently have teams on the ground in both Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic "ready to respond however we’re needed."