Red Cross sends aid to Puerto Rico as Fiona strikes almost 5 years after Maria

Families don’t have power and are dealing with flooding because of the impact brought on by Hurricane Fiona.

Five years ago, Hurricane Maria destroyed Puerto Rico and, on Tuesday, people on the island are once again dealing with hurricane damages, this time inflicted by Hurricane Fiona.

The local Red Cross is mobilizing as fast as possible to provide relief, and FEMA is also on the way.

Sandro Rodriguez, from Lehigh Acres, has family in Puerto Rico while Hurricane Fiona is wreaking havoc.

“Right now, what they need is food and, I mean, a lot of people stop working,” Rodriguez said. “You know, they’re worried about their homes, getting their homes back to normal again.”

“What happened the last time, they got storage units stuffed full of water and the stuff they needed,” Rodriguez said. “They lost it because people were hiding it. I hope that doesn’t happen again.”

Jill Palmer is the executive director for the Florida Gulf Coast to Heartland chapter of the American Red Cross. She told WINK News it’s already sent four local volunteers to Puerto Rico and they will make sure donations get to people who need them.

“Our number one priority right now is clearly the safety of those that have been impacted,” Palmer said. “To help support in sheltering, feeding, emergency support and making sure those residents have what they need right now.”

The Red Cross said to text 90999 to make a $10 donation or call 1-800-435-7669.