http://www.richmond.com/opinion/our-opin...44fc4.html
"The Department of Defense and the Federal Emergency Management Agency were both as proactive as possible in preparing for the hurricanes but the destruction caused by Hurricane Maria is massive. Nearly 3.5 million people live on an island that is 3,475 square miles — much of it mountainous terrain, rainforests, inaccessible coastline, and now-impassable roads.
Puerto Rico’s infrastructure is old and poorly maintained. Officials say 42 percent of Puerto Rico’s population is without drinking water. There is no electricity on the island. Restoring the utilities isn’t going to be a matter of repairs — it’s going to require rebuilding. Before that work can even begin, thousands of downed trees and tons of storm debris will need to be cleared.
As soon as Maria passed, officials were on the ground assessing damage. That it took federal officials “days to even contact local leaders,” as Slate accuses, is primarily because there were no communications on the island. Nearly every cell tower was destroyed and the electrical grid was wiped out. Blocked roads and hazardous conditions make visiting towns and cities in person almost impossible.
Two Navy ships headed to Puerto Rico before the storm hit. As soon as it was safe, they were on scene and providing assistance. Soldiers from a medical support brigade at Fort Bragg, N.C., were on board one of the ships, the USS Kearsarge. A Marine expeditionary unit also came to assist. National Guard units on Puerto Rico were activated and more troops are pouring in from units across the U.S., including Virginia....
Thankfully, some radar capability has been restored on the island. Aircraft bringing in supplies are now arriving around the clock at the airport in San Juan. According to the Military Times, as of Sept. 26, FEMA and other federal agencies had delivered 350 satellite phones and “have provided more than 4 million meals, 6 million liters of water, 70,000 tarps and 15,000 rolls of roof sheeting.” Ships from the U.S. Maritime Service are also on their way to the island, loaded with supplies and FEMA personnel. But pallets upon pallets of water, meals-ready-to-eat (MREs) and other supplies are sitting on the tarmac because there are so few working buses and few traversable roads.
Remember also that enormous relief efforts requiring FEMA and military assistance are still ongoing in Texas, Florida, and many other Caribbean islands. And on top of that, the military also has its day job of protecting the country and fighting bad guys. (But Northern Command has promised it will increase its presence significantly in the coming days.)
Puerto Rico doesn’t need a relief operation — it needs an aid package the magnitude of the Marshall Plan.
The federal government has its hands full, and recovery will take a long time. Meanwhile, snarky comments from armchair analysts hoping to score political points add nothing to the relief effort."
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