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Author(s): Yarimar Bonilla

Why must Puerto Ricans always be resilient?

Source(s): New York Times, the
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[...]

Why is it that five years after Hurricane Maria devastated the island, Puerto Rico’s infrastructure was so unprepared for Hurricane Fiona, a Category 1 storm? Why did a newly privatized grid collapse after just a few hours of rain? Why did newly built bridges so easily float away? Why are so many people still without power? 

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Part of the problem is that the speed of emergency management has not adapted to climate change. It used to be that the scope of a natural catastrophe would not be surpassed for decades, but record-breaking storms have become all too frequent, and recovery efforts can’t keep up.

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Emergency management efforts often focus on immediate response, providing temporary shelter and other needs, without a longer-term strategy.

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Puerto Ricans deserve more than Band-Aids that will be ripped away by the next disaster. 

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Hazards Cyclone, Hurricane and Typhoon
Themes Climate change Critical infrastructure Governance
Country and region Puerto Rico
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