Puerto Rico: Hurricane Fiona Update #2

Thursday September 22, 2022

Dear Group Leaders,

The U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico experienced heavy rain and stormy winds from hurricane Fiona this past weekend. Thankfully, the government as well as local businesses and residents learned a lot from 2017’s Hurricane Maria. The island now possesses machinery, generators, and hurricane protocols that did not exist back in 2017. Below is an update about and from the island. We will keep you updated periodically.

• Electricity – 40% of the population already has power; some of our staff members and family in San Juan already have electricity.
• Water – 67% of the population has running water as compared to 8% three day ago.
• Hotels and venues – most major hotels, attractions, and venues are fully operational and welcoming guests.
• SJU Airport – It reopened on Monday and remains fully operational
• Ports – Ports have reopened and are fully operational
• Most venues and tourist attractions are already open, however, El Yunque will take a bit longer to recover.
• More information – For more info, visit: https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/info/information-about-hurricane-fiona

We ask upcoming Puerto Rico groups and travelers to stay tuned and wait at least 2-3 weeks before thinking about switching their tour destination. Our team is already beginning to gather data regarding places and communities in need of service for future service-learning projects. We will also soon find out how our hotel property in southwestern Puerto Rico (Hotel Villa Parguera) is doing. We plan to visit it in person this week.

Sincerely,

Jorge Pardo
Vamonos President