Stuck at Port

Massive power outages and damaged roads preventing the delivery of critical supplies have seriously slowed recovery efforts in Puerto Rico.

In the aftermath of a natural disaster, first responders and government officials must act swiftly to assess damage and begin the recovery process. Unfortunately, recovery efforts are made all the more difficult when major public infrastructure suffers significant damage.

That’s exactly why Puerto Rico’s recovery from Hurricane Maria has been such a challenge. Months after the hurricane made landfall, power is still out in many areas, wi-fi and mobile communications are spotty at best, and ruined roads are preventing relief workers from delivering clean water, medicine, and other critical supplies. As a result, the humanitarian supply chain has been completely disrupted, leaving Puerto Rico increasingly desperate for aid.

Can You Hear Me?

Hurricane Maria was a Category 4 storm when it made landfall, crippling most of Puerto Rico’s power grid within several hours. It also knocked out almost all cable and internet lines and more than 90% of the island’s telecommunications towers, preventing victims from speaking with their families and first responders from relaying critical information to local and federal authorities. Without these communication systems in place, disaster relief workers have been unable to effectively coordinate their efforts and ensure that supplies are properly distributed across the island, greatly limiting their ability to help survivors.

FEMA and the National Guard worked to resolve the communications crisis, sending in satellite phones and setting up generator-operated communications units that can bridge calls from civilian and military devices. However, it may take months to completely restore power to the island, and short-term solutions are becoming increasingly insufficient as the scope of the crisis grows.

When the Levee Breaks

Recovery efforts in Puerto Rico have been further stalled by damaged roads and bridges, with 18 bridges indefinitely closed and more than 100 significantly damaged. Without these routes, authorities have been unable to access hundreds of communities across the island, especially in its less inhabited regions.

Puerto Rico’s ports were also devastated by the hurricane, effectively shuttering its primary points of entry. Shipping vessels full of vital supplies have arrived on the island, but with much of the handling equipment still disabled, their contents are stuck at port — outside the reach of the survivors who so desperately need them.