September 20, 2022 | Silver Spring, Maryland, United States | Iris Argueta, ADRA International
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is mobilizing to assess the critical needs of Hurricane Fiona victims in the Caribbean. Millions of people were left in the dark as a result of the devastating storm, that triggered flash flooding and mudslides.
Fiona ripped through Puerto Rico on Sunday, September 18, five years after Hurricane Maria virtually wrecked the entire island and left it powerless for several months.
The United States Government has already declared a state of emergency in Puerto Rico. According to local officials, Fiona dumped 32 inches of rain, demolished bridges, left almost a million people without clean water, displaced over 2000 residents, and caused multiple deaths.
“ADRA emergency personnel are on the ground, carefully assessing the situation to determine the humanitarian needs of the most impacted communities,” says Elian Giaccarini, regional emergency coordinator for ADRA International. “We must proceed with extreme caution, as conditions remain very hazardous due to the broad potential of flash floods. Please remember the storm victims in your prayers, and continue to support ADRA’s relief operations.”
ADRA emergency operations are also analyzing the situation in other parts of the Caribbean, and in the Dominican Republic where Fiona’s fierce winds and rainfall forced more than 12,000 people from their homes, flooded villages and left thousands without power.
Visit ADRA.org to learn more about ADRA’s disaster relief efforts and how you can help.