How to help Puerto Rico in wake of Hurricane Fiona

Puerto Rico continues to reel from Hurricane Fiona, which knocked out power and water access to most of the island. The slow-moving Category 1 storm made landfall Sunday, dumping up to 30 inches of rain, triggering floods and mudslides and washing away bridges in areas that have yet to recover from Hurricane Maria in 2017.

“The damages that we are seeing are catastrophic,” Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said Sunday.

More than 1,000 people stranded by the floodwaters have been rescued or evacuated by the National Guard, Pierluisi said. At least two deaths have been reported.

Fiona has strengthened to a Category 3 storm and is expected to pass near the islands of Turks and Caicos on Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center said. It is not expected to make landfall on the U.S. East Coast.

The storm struck the island just two days before the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Maria, a devastating Category 4 storm that destroyed the U.S. territory’s power grid and killed nearly 3,000 people.

President Biden approved an emergency declaration for Puerto Rico on Sunday, authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief.

But there are other ways to help the recovery efforts.

How to help 

Below is a list of some local organizations that are coordinating relief, along with links to donate.

Brigada Solidaria del Oeste. The mutual aid group is requesting water purification tablets, solar lamps, water filters, first aid kits and monetary donations.

Taller Salud. A women-led local non-profit is accepting cash donations via PayPal and also requesting non-perishable food, disposable containers, toiletries, cutlery, solar lanterns, water filters, diapers and gallons of water.

Comedores Sociales de Puerto Rico. A local kitchen fighting food insecurity on the island is accepting cash donations to help keep residents fed as they recover from Fiona.

Puerto Rico National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD). The network of local organizations is requesting cash donations to help their efforts on the ground.

PRxPR Relief and Rebuild Fund. Operated by Puerto Rican business leaders across the United States, the organization is relaying 100% of monetary donations to local organizations to help with the rebuild.