Author Topic: Our friends from Puerto Rico were attacked by Maria  (Read 5214 times)

wonderfruit

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Our friends from Puerto Rico were attacked by Maria
« on: September 22, 2017, 06:58:42 PM »
Does anybody has any news about them ? It seems they are going to be for a while disconected
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

JF

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Re: Our friends from Puerto Rico were attacked by Maria
« Reply #1 on: September 22, 2017, 07:33:25 PM »
Our Caribbean brothers and sisters have been hammered by two devastating hurricanes now our Mexican friends and neighbors are suffering from two major earthquakes. We send them our blessings and support.

Zarafet

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Re: Our friends from Puerto Rico were attacked by Maria
« Reply #2 on: September 23, 2017, 12:41:18 PM »
My whole family lives in Cataño Puerto Rico, the most affected place on the island and they say it's real bad. Money isn't helpful as there is nothing left to buy, food wise. It's a shame.

Our Caribbean brothers and sisters have been hammered by two devastating hurricanes now our Mexican friends and neighbors are suffering from two major earthquakes. We send them our blessings and support.

ericalynne

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Re: Our friends from Puerto Rico were attacked by Maria
« Reply #3 on: September 24, 2017, 07:41:56 PM »
Bryan Brunner is at Montoso Gardens in PR. Nothing new is posted on his website, but then if no one has power, that would be hard to do.

We think and hope and pray for all those in PR, Mexico City....

Jsvand5

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Re: Our friends from Puerto Rico were attacked by Maria
« Reply #4 on: September 24, 2017, 09:50:22 PM »
I don't understand why it is taking so long to get food and water down there. I also don't understand why medical ships aren't headed there. More people will die in the conditions on that island right now then died in the initial storm. Just a sad situation

Domnik

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Re: Our friends from Puerto Rico were attacked by Maria
« Reply #5 on: September 25, 2017, 12:45:59 AM »
Jsvand5

Mother nature's power is difficult to grasp, and the strength of man (despite having such powerful devices and organizations as we do) is weak. If you have thousands or even hundreds of thousands of repairs on your network / power system, roofs of houses, it will take weeks or months for your system / roofs to recover. And the energy system is not the only system to repair.

There is some gradation, that is, first the electricity is restored at the most important points (eg waterworks, hospitals, airports, schools etc), the most important intersections and roads are smoothed.

You can bring some of the most needed things there, but their quantity is limited and their preparation and delivery take time. The same is limited to the number of teams that can get there and help with damage removal (needed on locations and normal stationing on the continent). In the initial phase of the problem it is all about getting to the place (lack of functional reporting system, because it is corrupt, eg people do not have to call and tell that the crossroad is not in the way). That's why it takes a lot of time.

After the first hurricane I had some feedback from friends in this area. After the second no longer. I think they are dealing with home repairs right now, not writing off emails, etc. Who can certainly go to help directly to the place. And who can not go help the place - can always support good words and thoughts. Probably also a good solution is to donate some items or money to help organizations.

Greetings to people from Puerto Rico and other areas affected by the cataclysm. You are not alone. We remember what happened and we are with you (directly or in mind) in these difficult moments.
Patience is a gardener's virtue

pineislander

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Re: Our friends from Puerto Rico were attacked by Maria
« Reply #6 on: September 25, 2017, 07:23:41 AM »
In this recovery one item not immediately apparent is supply shortages. US suppliers are being stretched very thin with multiple disasters from Texas through Florida and down into the Caribbean. This extends through gasoline, wood products, roofing materials and electrical items. Power poles, transformers and wiring device supplies are being quickly depleted. Try to order simple things like tarpaulins, sheet rock or plywood. Experienced labor in construction trades is taking place. Many parts of the supply chains over the past years have gone to a 'just in time' mode where inventories are kept low which gets overloaded when demand suddenly increases.

Think about it, Texas buyers ordered first, then Florida, and now the Caribbean, so they are farther down the list. The islands have another problem which is housing. When there is a finite supply as on an island, and people can't spread out to undamaged areas in other states to find housing, and even hotels are damaged, where do they go? An influx of recovery labor has a hard time coming down and stresses others on island seeking shelter. The tourist industry is shut down, no one wants to go to a disaster area, no one wants to invest until things stabilize. There is no scenery only hardship and long hours of work and struggle. I saw this go on for years after hurricane Hugo, it was very stressful. Some will become refugees.

Jsvand5

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Re: Our friends from Puerto Rico were attacked by Maria
« Reply #7 on: September 25, 2017, 11:44:45 AM »
These people need food and water. That should have happened already. Of course electricity is going to take months in some areas but the basic necessities should be able to be there already. American citizens should not be dying because they don't have water a week after a disaster. There is a medical ship in port in VA right now that should be heading to the island. Instead all we hear about in the news is whether or not football players are standing during the national anthem.
« Last Edit: September 25, 2017, 11:58:57 AM by Jsvand5 »

behlgarden

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Re: Our friends from Puerto Rico were attacked by Maria
« Reply #8 on: September 25, 2017, 04:47:12 PM »
Jsvand5

Mother nature's power is difficult to grasp, and the strength of man (despite having such powerful devices and organizations as we do) is weak.

Well said Jsvand5!!

we can have all the technology we want, at the end of the day we are too reliant on technology where mother nature (fire, water, wind) all three destroy the very technology, communications, electrical, etc?


Mugenia

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Re: Our friends from Puerto Rico were attacked by Maria
« Reply #10 on: September 26, 2017, 02:42:17 AM »
‘No more agriculture in Puerto Rico,’ a farmer laments

YABUCOA, Puerto Rico — José A. Rivera, a farmer on the southeast coast of Puerto Rico, stood in the middle of his flattened plantain farm on Sunday and tried to tally how much Hurricane Maria had cost him. “How do you calculate everything?” Rivera said. For as far as he could see, every one of his 14,000 trees was down. Same for the yam and sweet-pepper crops. His neighbor, Luis A. Pinto Cruz, known to everyone here as “Piña,” figures he is out about $300,000 worth of crops.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/m/f8ea77c9-0b42-3d75-b22f-ea88b81593d9/%E2%80%98no-more-agriculture-in.html

That's a lot of bananas.

Domnik

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Re: Our friends from Puerto Rico were attacked by Maria
« Reply #11 on: September 26, 2017, 04:25:07 AM »
These bananas will grow in a month or two of the rhizomes that they have in the ground, and this farmer can "be relatively" in good shape (compared to other farmers who have nothing left) because it is enough to wait until the plantation is reborn. Worse to old trees that fell over, or unique planting units (where one plant was a disease, help, shadow for another) these can be destroyed as a result of microclimate change. It's a bit of a relief to write that probably in a few months, probably the furthest year, nature (and agriculture) will most likely return to normal. Lots of work ahead of locals. God bless them.
Patience is a gardener's virtue

mikemap

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Re: Our friends from Puerto Rico were attacked by Maria
« Reply #12 on: September 26, 2017, 05:39:56 AM »
A friend nearby is a longtime acquaintance and customer of Sadhu in PR, a rare fruit collector probably well-known to most people on the forum here. He told me today he got word from Sadhu that his farm was destroyed and he doesn't know what to do in the future. He said that pretty much all the other farms were destroyed too.

I see an update to Sadhu's website that says more:
http://organicfarm.net/
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sytanta

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Re: Our friends from Puerto Rico were attacked by Maria
« Reply #13 on: September 26, 2017, 06:24:23 AM »
A friend nearby is a longtime acquaintance and customer of Sadhu in PR, a rare fruit collector probably well-known to most people on the forum here. He told me today he got word from Sadhu that his farm was destroyed and he doesn't know what to do in the future. He said that pretty much all the other farms were destroyed too.

I see an update to Sadhu's website that says more:
http://organicfarm.net/

I was intending to ask about Sadhu. That's so bad! Going to donate some. He is needing help.

pineislander

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Re: Our friends from Puerto Rico were attacked by Maria
« Reply #14 on: September 26, 2017, 07:34:31 AM »
Dominica got a very hard eyewall hit. It is an incredibly beautiful island with rugged volcanic mountains plentiful rainfall and lush vegetation known as the "Nature Island". Now stripped bare, and a flooded mess.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH1vPCoHYbc&t=754s

Future

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Re: Our friends from Puerto Rico were attacked by Maria
« Reply #15 on: September 26, 2017, 10:20:27 PM »
A friend nearby is a longtime acquaintance and customer of Sadhu in PR, a rare fruit collector probably well-known to most people on the forum here. He told me today he got word from Sadhu that his farm was destroyed and he doesn't know what to do in the future. He said that pretty much all the other farms were destroyed too.

I see an update to Sadhu's website that says more:
http://organicfarm.net/

Thank you for sharing.  Many were wondering about Sadhu.  He  is a good guy. 

Raulglezruiz

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Re: Our friends from Puerto Rico were attacked by Maria
« Reply #16 on: September 27, 2017, 06:46:42 PM »
I chat through messenger  with Abimael forum member from Puerto Rico son's he told me Abimael sent him to let me know they are fine but there is no light and water on the Island and the trees are alive but destroyed, this is a copy of original message :
            Soy el hijo , mi padre me envío a decirle que estan bien el y su familia pero que estan incomunicados, sin luz y agua , el celular funciona en algunas areas pero como ahí escasez de gasolina, los arboles estan vivos pero destrozados.
El verde es vida!

sytanta

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Re: Our friends from Puerto Rico were attacked by Maria
« Reply #17 on: September 27, 2017, 06:58:13 PM »
I chat through messenger  with Abimael forum member from Puerto Rico son's he told me Abimael sent him to let me know they are fine but there is no light and water on the Island and the trees are alive but destroyed, this is a copy of original message :
            Soy el hijo , mi padre me envío a decirle que estan bien el y su familia pero que estan incomunicados, sin luz y agua , el celular funciona en algunas areas pero como ahí escasez de gasolina, los arboles estan vivos pero destrozados.

Maria has destroyed most of Caribbean islands. They will need a whole lots of time to recover.

Tropicdude

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Re: Our friends from Puerto Rico were attacked by Maria
« Reply #18 on: September 28, 2017, 03:58:29 AM »
Trump has chosen that Puerto Rican lives are not important,  maybe he thinks PR is a Mexican Island?

https://www.yahoo.com/news/donald-trump-refuses-send-more-195456324.html
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pineislander

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Re: Our friends from Puerto Rico were attacked by Maria
« Reply #19 on: September 28, 2017, 07:19:46 AM »
Trump has chosen that Puerto Rican lives are not important,  maybe he thinks PR is a Mexican Island?

https://www.yahoo.com/news/donald-trump-refuses-send-more-195456324.html
The article is a bit misleading. There is a large capacity of US flagged shipping available to meet Puerto Rico's needs. I am speaking as a US Merchant Marine Officer (recently retired) with personal knowledge of the industry. About 75% of the US flagged fleet which served the Gulf of Mexico offshore oil industry are laid off with ships tied up at the dock due to low oil prices. Hundreds of ships and thousands of my fellow sailors are unemployed. If needed, those assets could be hired, but they are not really needed. There is no shortage of shipping into Puerto Rico.

The Jones Act seeks to maintain a US built and operated shipping industry between US ports. Foreign built and crewed ships can already carry cargo into and out of the country, but not between US destinations. Without the Jones act our domestic shipping fleet and US shipyards would dwindle and we would be at the mercy of poorly qualified foreign ships and crews, with no recourse for moving freight/ grain/oil  between US ports. Senator McCain and the President's opponents in Puerto Rico are using the tragedy for a political event with the Puerto Rican people as pawns but against the interests of US mariners and shipbuilders.

 There was a brief time during Harvey and immediately after Irma when Jones Act waivers were made which allowed some foreign flag tankers to deliver fuel through US ports, while US pipelines in Texas were shut down and US flagged ships were out of position to transport fuel from Texas to Florida. That situation does not currently exist. Puerto Rican water systems and fuel supplies are down because the infrastructure needs rebuilding, not because of a lack of supplies at the ports pr shippers to carry cargo. There is plenty of supply of fuel at the ports there and abundant water in Puerto Rico, they export water to other islands regularly. Foreign flagged ships are not needed to bring more cargo, fuel, or water.

This article discusses the real situation.
https://www.workboat.com/blogs/maritime-matters/jones-act-yes/

The ports in Puerto Rico are currently flooded with cargo and have been for the last week. Many of the mariners on the supply ships are Puerto Ricans who can use those jobs.
http://www.crowley.com/News-and-Media/Press-Releases/Crowley-Says-On-Island-Distribution-Key-to-Getting-Relief-Supplies-to-Puerto-Rico-Residents

Tang Tonic

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Re: Our friends from Puerto Rico were attacked by Maria
« Reply #20 on: October 13, 2017, 02:50:30 PM »
This is from an email I received from Sadhu, I hope he doesn't mind me sharing.  I would love to help but am dealing with the same situation of a hurricane battered island here on St. Croix.

As most of you know, the entire island of Puerto Rico was hit hard by category 5 hurricane Maria on September 20th. The hurricane was the worst in the island's recorded history and caused severe damage and devastation in all parts of the country. It took many lives - the exact count will not be known before the center of the island will be accessible again - and it destroyed much of the local infrastructure. The situation can only be described as catastrophic.

Almost two weeks later, gasoline and food are still rationed and it is estimated that rural areas will be without electricity, water and phone for six to twelve months. Sanitary conditions are deteriorating and there is no end in sight in terms of getting landslides and devastated nature under control again.

Unfortunately, Govardhan Gardens, which has served the Caribbean for the last 20 years as the most diversified source of tropical fruit, nut and bamboo species, has been hit directly, as were practically all farms in Puerto Rico. Four out of five nursery structures (and plants) were obliterated; over one thousand trees are down, and most of the surviving trees heavily injured and defoliated. In total, about 80% of the botanical collection are lost. Since many of these species were the only existing ones in the Caribbean, they are extremely difficult to replace.

The total loss was so enormous, that I was not certain that I can afford to clean up the farm again (chainsaw work for 1.5-2 years) or not. Just to clean up the farm would cost around $30,000, and there would be only expense during this period, without much income opportunity. The damage of collapsed structures and other features of the property are in the tens of thousands of Dollars. The collection was priceless, but if one would want to put a price tag on it, its over $250,000.

I weighed my options carefully and I decided to try the following:

- Clean up the entire farm, if possible in 1.5 years or less
- Repair the landslides
- Restore the fruit tree nursery again over the next few years
- Rebuild and expand the bamboo nursery


All of this can be done for approximately $40,000. This is still a larger amount than I could come up with myself, but if at least a fraction of it could be raised, there is hope to save Govardhan Gardens.

I already received one substantial offer to start the process of restoring as much as possible, and I will start the work already within the next days. It will be physically very demanding to cut up hundreds of thousand of pounds of fallen trees and then integrate them into the eco system of the farm but I have made my decision to commit myself to the task.

On a larger scale, the eco system of Puerto Rico is in an extremely precarious state now. We desperately need more ecological role models to save our environment before it collapses completely. For this reason, I will expand my services of providing tropical bamboo species that are hurricane resistant and extremely helpful for erosion control.

Although I am hesitant to ask for support, I have no choice this time but to reach out to all friends of Govardhan Gardens. I know that the economy is affecting everyone because it is designed to feed only the elite and drain the rest of us. But if everyone who is concerned about the future of Govardhan Gardens can help in some way, there is hope to save the project.

If you want to donate for the cause, please send whatever you can either via PayPal to sadhuoroverde@gmail.com, or mail a check, written out to Sadhu (my first name is sufficient) and send it to: Sadhu, POB 8132, Mayaguez 00681, Puerto Rico. Please make sure to declare the donation as "Hurricane Relief Donation".

With my sincere thanks,
Sadhu
www.organicfarm.net

Future

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Re: Our friends from Puerto Rico were attacked by Maria
« Reply #21 on: October 13, 2017, 10:38:49 PM »
Thank you for sharing this.