Exactly five years after Hurricane Maria, the citizens of Puerto Rico have lost again, after Hurricane Fiona  ravaged the region. After 12 days, people have no water to drink, food shortages, no shelters, and lost family and friends. 

East of the Dominican Republic my family has been suffering because of this Hurricane.  My aunt had to evacuate from her home after an electrical pole fell right in front of her house. She still had no running water and no power, had to go to her daughter’s house for shelter. She has been using a water bottle that I left there to keep the water that she does find, cold and refreshing.  She is now safe and she and my family down in La Romana have gone back to their homes and are okay. 

On the other hand, my people from Higuey and El Seibo have been affected tremendously. Everyone In Higuey thought the storm wasn’t going to affect them much, and they didn’t think it was going to happen as fast. So everything got destroyed. Most people’s homes are destroyed. If you live in Higuey, you either don’t have a home anymore, or your house is flooded all the way to the top because of Hurricane Fiona. Some people’s roofs were ripped off because of the harsh winds. 

My Cousin Yohanna, who lives in the Dominican Republic said the hurricane was really slow and stayed a lot of time on the ground. Who currently has no job because a lot of hotels in la Romana are closed for at least a month. All of the beaches are a disaster and many people are left without jobs because of this. 

Over in El Seibo where my dad lives was where the Yuma River went through. His whole farm was destroyed because of this Hurricane. When I  asked him about how he was, and how farm is, he said that he has no strength and that he has to start from zero. 

About 800 people are displaced with no homes in the Dominican Republic. More than 900,000 in Puerto Rico are still with no power. Hundreds of thousands with no drinking water just in Puerto Rico. More than 2,260 homes were destroyed just in Higuey. These people were left with no food, no shoes, no clothes, no water, all they have is what’s on their backs. 

There is a way you can help though. There is a project called “Hurricane Fiona Relief Fund”, it is a nonprofit fundraiser to help people across the whole Caribbean started by Global Giving. They will help by delivering food, water, hygiene products, medical supplies, ect. This organization is trusted, reliable, and will help my people get back on their feet. Just click here.