Ibero American Action League is gearing up to help people in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic affected by Hurricane Fiona.
The Category 1 storm took down Puerto Rico’s power grid, affecting more than 3 million people and leaving the island in a blackout that officials said could last days. The storm downed trees and powerlines in the Dominican Republic with winds up to 85mph, according to Reuters.
“Hopefully, things will resolve themselves quickly on the island and this doesn’t create another mass exodus,” Angelica Perez-Delgado, president and CEO of Ibero, said in a statement. “Nevertheless, we must be prepared as this has been a long journey for many Puerto Ricans, many who had not fully recovered [from Hurricane Maria in 2017], and might have lost whatever they had left.”
Lucia Colindres, chief program officer at Ibero, said they are looking to community leaders and others to coordinate supportive efforts for people displaced by the natural disaster and people who need supplies.
With Rochester’s robust Puerto Rican and Dominican communities, there are a lot of ties to the area, she said.
“With this situation, we want to make sure that we prepare in case there's individuals that need support,” Colindres said. “Whether that is you know, at the island, or if they decide to come to Rochester because there are a lot of family members here.”
Ibero helped resettle nearly 5,000 people from Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria devastated the island. Colindres said that experience has prepared the organization to do that kind of work again.
“We have the experience of having done it before,” she said. “So this time, we're … better prepared to organize ourselves, and make sure that you know, we're ready. But we, of course, need the community support.”
