By Christina Vassallo
Ana Mirandes accidentally silenced her parents’ first call at 6:30 a.m. Two hours later, she answered and they said it was getting worse. Snapchat became their only means of communication for hours.
Supermarkets now have no less than hour-long entry lines. Electricity is a luxury. Her family members crowd into her bedroom because it has the coolest temperature in the house. Classes at schools have moved outside because of damage and heat.
Mirandes, a 20-year-old junior at American University, does not know when she will return to Puerto Rico. For now, she communicates with her family when they can find signal. Yet, she knows circumstances will improve and the island will rise up again.
“My parents called me the night before and told me this one may be bigger and they may lose cell signal so do not worry,” said Mirandes. “I was lucky because I could talk to them for most of the day. One of my closest friends wasn’t able to contact her parents for 48 hours.”
Mirandes and her family became familiar with Hurricane Maria when the natural disaster hit Puerto Rico on Sept. 20, taking over 50 lives. FEMA reports 15,000 federal and military aid workers on the ground in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Though many are escaping to the mainland, 34 percent of residents have electricity on the island. Residents are able to choose from 90 percent of operational grocery stores, depending on the waiting time to enter. Only 1,500 miles of over 5,000 miles of roadway are open. Residents are still advised to boil water before drinking.
“There is an hour-wait line to get in the small supermarket by my house and when you get in there is still not a guarantee you will get anything,” said Mirandes.
Mirandes’ father, an architect, was forced to buy a generator for his office in order to work, despite the difficulty obtaining diesel. Her mother, a banker, climbs nine flights of stairs every day because there is no electricity to power the elevator.
Her grandmother was taken from a retirement home on Saturday after the hurricane hit, only to return this past Wednesday. Her other grandmother could not attend her sister’s funeral.
“The thing is that the first day was bad but the days that followed were even worse,” said Mirandes.
Mirandes discussed the fortunate situation her family is in due to how the hurricane hit. In the mountains and on the southside, people live in worse conditions because of what she said was their ability to obtain food. She also said this is not the area that President Donald Trump visited.
Trump visited Puerto Rico on Oct. 3 where he toured Guaynabo, what Mirandes described as a privileged part of the island. She said he failed to see the damage in destructed areas, though he gave himself a 10 out of 10 rating on his efforts.
“All he did was go to the whitest, richest place and throw paper towels at people while they cheered,” said Mirandes. “That’s it.”
She said much aid is coming from celebrities that retain roots on the island. Artist Pitbull utilized his private jet to transport chemotherapy patients to the states to maintain treatment. Many stars, such as Ricky Martin and Jorge Posada, are providing aid through visits and aid movements.
One movement, “Somos Una Voz,” initiated by Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, brought together 67 artists. Their goal is to transport necessities to the island using their influence to raise money and awareness.
“Some organizations like Students of Puerto Rico are helping,” said Mirandes. “Because of this, we have started a club here, Puerto Ricans of AU, and we have donated $2,000.”
When first coming into contact with Puerto Rico’s website, “Puerto Rico needs your support” trumps the convincing language on the site attracting tourists to the island. Giving frequent updates and manners in which to help, the island begs for a remedy.
Prices of flights have become so expensive leaving the island that many do not have a choice to either leave or return home. Mirandes planned to visit for Thanksgiving but had no feasible way of leaving the island to return to school.
The airport itself played the role of a shelter for some time. It assisted those that could not return to their homes that lacked roofs, much less air conditioning and electricity, said Mirandes. She said they gave out supplies, but eventually had to halt their actions because they were emptying their stores.
Mirandes has positive hopes for the future. Though there are separations and troubles on the island now, she has friends at school to keep her calm and upbeat about her situation. She sees the aid coming from different directions and knows the island will regain strength.
“Hopefully things will get better and Trump will notice that what he is doing is not helping and will lend a hand,” said Mirandes. “There is a motto going around that is ‘Puerto Rico se levanta,’ or ‘Puerto Rico rises up.’ I think things will get better.”
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