dagblog - Comments for "‘If anyone can hear us … help.’ Puerto Rico’s mayors describe widespread devastation from Maria"

I recommend it, too. It gets

artappraiser — Sun, 01 Oct 2017 08:34:26 +0000

In reply to Great NYTimes rundown (rec by

I recommend it, too. It gets the reality across well and from varied environments and 'hoods so the pervasiveness comes across.

One of the related issues for me, coming from being involved in various long blackout situations: fuck those who promote a cashless society. I've gotten grief for saying that in years when there haven't been any major blackout events, a major definition of helpless and defenseless for me is being without cash when there's no electricity in a large geographical area. Cash, gasoline and ice are so precious then. Et tu electric cars, the changeover now mandated in some places? So then, even when not on an island, you can't even drive to get cash and/or ice? And since other kinds of fuel will no longer be as easily be available, forgetabout generators?

Great NYTimes rundown (rec by

PeraclesPlease — Sun, 01 Oct 2017 02:16:03 +0000

In reply to Walking back "heckuva job":

Great NYTimes rundown (rec by BMaz/EmptyWhe

Death toll much higher than

PeraclesPlease — Sun, 01 Oct 2017 02:08:12 +0000

In reply to Walking back "heckuva job":

Death toll much higher than reported (because the people who could report are wiped out or overloaded, duh -meanwhile Trump is praising the low body ciubt while these people are still dying. It's 2017 and our rescue effirts are wirse than 191

“So mad I could spit”: a

artappraiser — Sun, 01 Oct 2017 00:35:49 +0000

In reply to ‘If anyone can hear us … help.’ Puerto Rico’s mayors describe widespread devastation from Maria

“So mad I could spit”: a former disaster relief official on Trump’s response to Puerto Rico

He described the Trump administration’s response as “malpractice.”

Updated by German Lopez @ Vox.com, Sep 30, 2017, 11:30am EDT

The Washington Post has a new report out breaking down the response by President Donald Trump’s administration to the ongoing crisis in Puerto Rico.

Now a former foreign disaster assistance chief under President Barack Obama, who said he was trying “to be balanced” regarding Trump’s handling of the situation because he knows “how hard this stuff is,” said that the report has finally made him snap — “so mad I could spit.”

Jeremy Konyndyk, who now works for the Center for Global Development, calls the Trump administration’s response disaster management “malpractice.” Here are his tweets breaking down the report: [....]

Puerto Rico officials

artappraiser — Sun, 01 Oct 2017 00:31:47 +0000

In reply to ‘If anyone can hear us … help.’ Puerto Rico’s mayors describe widespread devastation from Maria

Puerto Rico officials describe 'apocalyptic' conditions

By Nicole Chavez @ CNN, Updated 2:30 PM ET, with video & photos

[....] Without power and communications in much of the island, millions of people, including city leaders and first responders, have been cut off from the world since Maria hit Wednesday.

Authorities flew over the island Saturday, and were stunned by what they saw. No cellphones, water or power. Roads completely washed away and others blocked by debris, isolating residents.

"It was devastating to see all that kind of debris in all areas, in all towns of the island," Jenniffer González, the island's non-voting representative in Congress told CNN. [....]

Army, more federal aid coming

US President Donald Trump has pledged federal help for Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.n The Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration said 4,000 members of the US Army Reserves have been deployed to the island to help with Hurricane Maria recovery.

"Federal partners are aggressively working to meet and overcome challenges to opening ports and restoring power to bring additional life-saving commodities and personnel into disaster-affected areas," the Federal Emergency Management Agency said in a statement.

Several flights and sea vessels with meals, water and generators have been arriving or are headed to Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands affected, the agency said.

Brock Long, the FEMA director, said on Twitter Sunday he would visit Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands on Monday.

Puerto Ricans living without water, communication

Residents also have limited access to cell signal, causing panic among families at home and abroad who have been unable to contact their loved ones.

"I know many people who are living in the States are worried about not hearing from their families," González said. "Don't get nervous, we just have problems with communications lines."

More than 95% of the wireless cell sites are currently out of service, the island's Federal Communications Commission said Saturday.

East of Maunabo, in Humacao, people stop their cars along the side of the road near a cell tower on a hill. It's the only access to cellphone service for miles.

On the northwest part of the island, authorities had to physically go to thousands of residents to warn them of a potential dam collapse near the Guajataca River.

"We don't know how much longer it will hold," he said. "The structure has been significantly compromised." [.....]

Walking back "heckuva job":

artappraiser — Fri, 29 Sep 2017 23:27:19 +0000

In reply to Virtually the same headline

Walking back "heckuva job":

After criticism, acting homeland security chief admits humanitarian situation in Puerto Rico 'is not satisfactory'

@ ABCNews.com, Sep 29, 2017, 3:17 PM ET

Heckuva job. Otherwise known

artappraiser — Fri, 29 Sep 2017 23:20:37 +0000

In reply to Virtually the same headline

Heckuva job. Otherwise known as "it's your fault for living there" where they don't know how to play the bankruptcy game. Must be bad hombres, need to suffer god's wrath? Doesn't apply to Houston for some reason:

Trump Administration Won’t Promise To Fix Puerto Rico’s Infrastructure

by Julia Ainsley @ NBC News, Sept. 29

WASHINGTON — Despite the widespread damage to Puerto Rico's infrastructure inflicted by Hurricane Maria, the federal government is making no promises to fix it.

President Donald Trump cast doubt Friday on whether Washington would lend a hand to repair the island, and a spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency told NBC News that administrators want to assess the damage before committing to fixing public infrastructure in the ravaged U.S. territory [....}

Virtually the same headline

artappraiser — Fri, 29 Sep 2017 23:15:55 +0000

In reply to ‘If anyone can hear us … help.’ Puerto Rico’s mayors describe widespread devastation from Maria

Virtually the same headline as 6 days ago:

San Juan mayor: 'I am begging, begging anyone who can hear us to save us from dying'

By Julia Manchester @ TheHill.com, Sept. 29 @ 4:41 pm

The mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico, sharply rebuked the Trump administration's efforts to aid the island in the wake of Hurricane Maria, and delivered an emotional plea to "anyone who can hear us to save us all."

"I will do what I never thought I was going to do. I am begging, begging anyone who can hear us to save us from dying. If anybody out there is listening to us, we are dying, and you are killing us with the inefficiency," Carmen Yulín Cruz said on Friday [....]

FEMA head: "I think the last

artappraiser — Wed, 27 Sep 2017 00:50:00 +0000

In reply to ‘If anyone can hear us … help.’ Puerto Rico’s mayors describe widespread devastation from Maria

FEMA head: "I think the last 35 days have been a gut check for Americans, that we don't have a true culture of preparedness in this country" pic.twitter.com/ETq47bpBAp
— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 26, 2017

if you see a link instead of a video, the link takes you to the video

John McCain asks Trump

artappraiser — Wed, 27 Sep 2017 00:38:27 +0000

In reply to ‘If anyone can hear us … help.’ Puerto Rico’s mayors describe widespread devastation from Maria

John McCain asks Trump administration to reverse course, waive Jones Act to help Puerto Rico

by Josh Seigel @ WashingtonExaminer.com, Sept. 26

Sen. John McCain urged the Trump administration on Tuesday to reconsider its decision to not issue a waiver of the Jones Act to allow more fuel and other supplies into Puerto Rico as the island recovers from Hurricane Maria.

Enacted in 1920, the federal law prohibits tankers from hauling crude oil between U.S. ports unless those vessels are American-made, flagged and manned by a crew that is made up of 75 percent U.S. citizens.

The Arizona Republican has long called for repeal of the law, which he views as protectionist and anti-competitive, making it harder to move goods to market and raising prices for consumers.

"I am very concerned by the department's decision not to waive the Jones Act for current relief efforts in Puerto Rico, which is facing a worsening humanitarian crisis following Hurricane Maria," McCain wrote in a letter to Elaine Duke, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. "It is unacceptable to force the people of Puerto Rico to pay at least twice as much for food, clean drinking water, supplies and infrastructure due to Jones Act requirements as they work to recover from this disaster. Now, more than ever, it is time to realize the devastating effect of this policy and implement a full repeal of this archaic and burdensome act." [.....]