Bay Staters with ties to Puerto Rico call for urgent response after Fiona
Courtney Cole, WBZ-TV
CHELSEA - Hurricane Fiona is no longer looming over the island of Puerto Rico, but a significant part of the island is still dealing with what the storm left behind: flooding, mudslides and a loss of electricity.
It's leaving many in the Boston area concerned for the well-being of their family members.
A local restaurant owner in Chelsea said the government needs to step in with lasting solutions, so the people of Puerto Rico don't end up in this position again.
"It's starting again, and we were praying that it does not escalate to a full hurricane," said Rosaviette Baez of her first thought when she learned Puerto Rico was in Hurricane Fiona's path.
"The island is still trying to recover. Maria devastated the island, and you have a lot of homes that are abandoned," Baez said.
Baez Is the owner of Chelsea's Bella Isla Express - an ode to Puerto Rico in the form of cuisine.
Baez said it was her mother's dream to have a restaurant and her family came together to help bring her mother's vision to life.
"We wanted to continue this path and invite, have people, our customers, learn about Puerto Rico," Baez said.
Much like the strong sense of community in Puerto Rico, her customers have made sure to check on her during this difficult time, too.
"We have customers that've asked, 'Have you called your families? Have you spoken to them?' And we have told them, 'They are OK, and they're just trying to survive this,'" Baez said.
Baez says she's been able to get a hold of all of them except for one of her aunts. She has older relatives that live on the island, including aunts and uncles in San Juan, Villalba, Orocovis and Bayamón
"They have no lights; they have no water. And we're worried about them because they're much older individuals. They are in their 80s, especially my uncle, who is 83 years old, is in a wheelchair and has no power," Baez explained.
Only about 395,000 of Puerto Rico's 1.5 million utility customers had their power restored by 1 p.m. Wednesday, according to the latest report from CNN.
But she tells me problems with the power grid have plagued the island before the storm ever arrived.
"In May, when my mom went to Puerto Rico, the residents were complaining that the rates were going up for the electrical service, but it was not reliable," said Baez. She said the conditions her family has described call for an urgent response.
"We're talking mudslides - mudslides covering vehicles, little homes that were home, little sheds, and now they're completely gone. The streets have been ripped up. They just can't take this constant rain and rain, rain. It's just too much for the island," she said.
The solution, Baez says, is more investment from the government.
"Because they need a new grid system. Not just put a tape, a Band-Aid, on it and try to repair it. This has been going on for a many, many years. It's old and it needs new equipment," Baez said passionately.
In the meantime, she said, people on the island will continue to come together and help each other.
"That's what Puerto Rico is all about. We have heart, and we're strong, and we're going to survive this," said Baez.
If you're looking for a way to help Puerto Rico beyond a monetary donation, Baez says she thinks this is the time to contact your elected senator or representative and urge them to help the island.