New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo, paid yet another visit to hurricane-devastated Puerto Rico. It was his third trip and he took the opportunity to shower praise on New Yorkers who are making a sizable contribution to rebuild the infrastructure and extend all possible help to the victims of Hurricane Maria.
New York Daily News reports that Gov. Andrew Cuomo expressed concerns about the efforts to rebuild the island after it faced the fury of the disaster on Sept. 20. The New York Democrat also remarked that Puerto Ricans should not be treated as “second-class citizens” because it is not a foreign country and its citizens are not outsiders, but Americans.
New Yorkers are helping out
Hurricane Maria has displaced thousands of people from Puerto Rico and many of them have been forced to come to the mainland to reside with their families and friends. Most of them have lost their houses and belongings and have to begin life afresh. Those who have opted to remain on the island still do not have electricity in their homes, nor do they have access to many modern facilities. Health care is one of the areas of concern and the absence of electricity is hampering work in the hospitals.
Andrew Cuomo has thanked the New Yorkers who have risen to the occasion and have taken the lead to provide disaster relief. Prominent among them are doctors and other healthcare professionals who have flown out to Puerto Rico to offer their services.
Teams of workers from Con Edison have also gone there trying to restore electricity. However, the basic infrastructure has suffered extensive damage due to the hurricane, and restoration would be a long, drawn-out process. It could take up to February 2018 to get full power back on the island.
It’s all about misplaced priorities
Puerto Rico had declared bankruptcy just fourth months before the hurricane struck, and the handling of the situation post-Hurricane Maria has revealed that the authorities in Washington have misplaced their priorities. During his visit, Andrew Cuomo had gone to the town of Canóvanas which former President Bill Clinton visited last month with medical supplies and solar energy equipment.
Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello was all praises for his New York counterpart who has not only talked about helping Puerto Rico but has actually done it. In the opinion of Cuomo, efforts must be intensified to rebuild the island.
Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria were three natural disasters that struck Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico, respectively, during the August-September hurricane season. These have left behind a trail of destruction, and such an unpredictable pattern of climatic disturbance could be attributed to climate change. In order to prevent repetition of such disasters, it is necessary to control the generation of greenhouse gases that are not only harmful to the environment but facilitate global warming.
