Over the past few days, Hurricane Fiona has battered Puerto Rico, knocking out power to the more than 3 million Americans who live on the island. Millions of the island’s residents are without clean drinking water, and it might be days before flooding recedes, allowing the cleanup and repair process to begin in earnest.
It’s only been five years since Puerto Rico was devastated by Hurricane Maria, and the island’s residents still have not seen all of the recovery money that they were promised in the wake of that natural disaster. We need to make sure that our fellow Americans are treated better than that this time.
Contact both Senators:
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Maria Cantwell: 202-224-3441 or http://www.cantwell.senate.gov/contact/email/form
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Patty Murray: 202-224-2621 or http://www.murray.senate.gov/write-to-patty/
Contact your Representative:
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Pramila Jayapal: 202-225-3106 or http://jayapal.house.gov/contact
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Adam Smith: 202-225-8901 or http://adamsmith.house.gov/contact
Sample script:
My name is {NAME} and I live in Seattle, {ZIP CODE}. I am asking you to demand that President Biden and FEMA step up their response to the disaster and humanitarian crisis unfolding in Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Fiona. We failed our fellow citizens in the wake of 2017’s Hurricane Maria, and we need to do better this time. Furthermore, I want to see you call for a major initiative to improve the resilience of Puerto Rico’s power grid. The accelerating climate crisis suggests this will not be the last major hurricane that Puerto Rico faces in the years to come.
Bonus Action: Donate money to Puerto Ricans if you can
You can find more background on the crisis, as well as donation links for groups that are doing work in Puerto Rico right now: http://www.thecut.com/2022/09/how-to-help-puerto-rico-after-hurricane-fiona.html
Background
“At least 2 dead in Puerto Rico after ‘unbelievable’ Hurricane Fiona” – http://www.cnn.com/2022/09/19/weather/hurricane-tropical-storm-fiona-monday
“FEMA faces deep mistrust as it vows to help Puerto Rico respond to Fiona” – http://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/09/20/hurricane-fiona-puerto-rico-fema/
