Two years ago we were hunkered down riding out the first part of Hurricane Maria. We survived both the storm and its aftermath.
A couple of updates since the hurricane: Trump continues to lie about how much money was appropriated and sent to Puerto Rico to aid recovery. He continues to lie about what a great job FEMA did. You may have read that an assistant FEMA administrator and several other FEMA employees were indicted on corruption and bribery charges in connection with a $1.8 billion contract for the reconstruction of the island's electric grid. What you may not have read is that FEMA sent out letters to pretty much everyone who applied for Individual Assistance with FEMA since 2008 that they incorrectly shared personal addresses of 2.5 million people with private contractors. Of those 2.5 million, 1.8 million also had personal banking information shard with contractors. So pretty much everybody in Puerto Rico post-Maria has had their information shared. We applied for FEMA assistance. When we first applied, we didn't hear anything for a couple of months. We went to check on our application and were told they had no record of us ever applying. So, we applied all over again. (In a way this turned out to be a good thing because that's how we found out about the Small Business Administration's post disaster loans.) Several weeks later we received a letter telling us we were eligible for "Transitional Sheltering Assistance" (in a hotel in San Juan) because our house was damaged. One day later we received another letter from FEMA telling us our house was habitable and therefore we weren't eligible for any assistance. These are not uncommon stories.Yep, cheeto-in-chief, FEMA did a great job in Puerto Rico.
Today is calm, quiet, hot, a bit muggy, and very still. Except for the ocean. The ocean is rockin' and churnin'! These were taken at Playa Pastillo yesterday.
It's bigger today. There are high surf, coastal flooding, and strong rip tide advisories up for today all along the coast.
Hurricane Jerry is spinning around out there almost due east of us in the Atlantic. It shouldn't be a problem; it is tracking well north of us and should pass us during the day tomorrow. We may get some rain - and more waves - but that should be it.
We are supposed to be in Ohio right now for my 50th (!) high school reunion. Between our nephew Ben still in the hospital in San Juan (many trips back and forth), ailing horses (nothing serious!), my sister and niece being here to be with Ben and no one available to care for the animals this weekend, we are sitting this one out. Maybe I will make the next one. (I've said that since the 40th). We will be in Michigan next weekend for our daughter's wedding though!
Unless there is a hurricane of course.
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