Puerto Rico Crisis

What I don't understand is why there are no rescues by helicopter and why all of the correspondents who are reporting on satellite phones cannot get satellite phones delivered to them for distribution to the small communities who cannot communicate with San Juan. It would seem to me that communication with the remote areas that are being shown on national TV need a way to communicate where they are and who needs help, but then Sanjay Gupta says even the hospitals in San Juan have no satellite phones. I am not saying everyone in Puerto Rico needs a satellite phone but even just one in each community would be most helpful for the stranded people to be able to let their families know they are alive. Again, where are the helicopter rescues we saw in Texas? This situation is so heartbreaking.

The donald threw Puerto Rico under the bus. They are those dreadful Latinos. He is despicable and should be charged with murder.

Thanks for those of you with first-hand experience, you painted good pictures. My only experience is with CA earthquakes and I worked the Loma Prieta quake in SF. Life changing.

sampati wrote:What I don't understand is why there are no rescues by helicopter and why all of the correspondents who are reporting on satellite phones cannot get satellite phones delivered to them for distribution to the small communities who cannot communicate with San Juan.  It would seem to me that communication with the remote areas that are being shown on national TV need a way to communicate where they are and who needs help, but then Sanjay Gupta says even the hospitals in San Juan have no satellite phones.  I am not saying everyone in Puerto Rico needs a satellite phone but even just one in each community would be most helpful for the stranded people to be able to let their families know they are alive.  Again, where are the helicopter rescues we saw in Texas?  This situation is so heartbreaking.

I believe there were some helicopter rescues but I have no idea why there weren't more.

In Houston/Florida, people didn't have cell service but they had used an app called Zello(walkie-talkie), which connects to the internet or 3G or whatever and they were able to get rescued.  The mayors were given satellite phones but they didn't reach all of the communities right away to be given a satellite phone.  The mayor's weren't reporting or declaring emergency to even bring in more help. Aguadilla only had 4 pipa tanks of water for 60,000 people as of yesterday and that mayor had a satellite phone right away! This was such a wide spread disaster like they've never had to deal with.  Even the military involvement was limited by the shots the governor was calling.  They were assessing and the assessment took way to long because there was no communication.

Anyone get the impression this will be another Katrina?  It'll be weeks from now when we will be shown the whole picture. Who, when, why, where all the screw-ups occurred.  I am sure there will be faults found everywhere.

Cell phones and satellite phones need to be recharged; but there is no electricuty. Catch-22
Helicopters need to refuel, but there are no USN refueling ships standing offshore, and few other options. Then, where would they take the people anyway? Catch-22
Yes, an invasion force would have done it differently and solved those problems, even if martial law had to be declared.....by whom?
The problem starts at the top........The bottom remains helpless.

It's beginning to sound, and look like, there was no emergency preparedness plan or protocols in place at all.

IN THE EVENT OF SERIOUS EMERGENCY:
1- Call all staff......Oops! Phones are out.
2- Send e-Mail to..... “ Power is out.
3- Use cell phone to...“ Battery is dead. Towers are down.
4- Drive over to.... “ Roads are blocked. No gasoline available.
5- Cook lunch for.... “ No electricity, no gas, fridge is missing.
6- Take shelter..... “ What happened to the roof?
Etc.........

Modern civilization does have its drawbacks. It makes us too dependent.

For communications, there is also armature or ham radio. And I heard on the radio this morning that ham radio is again catching on down there and that it is providing an alternative method for communications.

We used to have an active ham radio network lakeside in the 1990s before cell phones were available and when Telmex charged for long distance calls to places as close as SJC and Joco.

The biggest problem though is power to recharge the ham radio batteries or to run those systems that do not use batteries.

No matter what kind of spin some folks try to put on this, the blame lies with the incompetent, uncaring administration led by the guy on the White House. There was plenty warning what to expect.

I am no fan Mr. Donald, and there is much blame there. But I understand that unlike the states that often are exposed to hurricanes, and had prepared for the possibility of another disaster, I understand that because Puerto Rico had financial problems, they had made almost no preparations for a future disaster.

Of course the storm was so strong that some of such preparation would have been destroyed, but not all of it

Yes. I agree.
In the states this falls under the OES, Office of Emergency Services. There are plans, algorithms, and protocols that can be as sophisticated or as basic as needed. Drills and mock disasters are held frequently. These plans are shared worldwide. Seems PR might have been left out of the loop.

Satellite phones to the rescue... too bad FEMA didn't order theirs in advance.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2017/09/29/satellite-phone-supply-running-out-all-head-puerto-rico/716968001/

ferret wrote:Satellite phones to the rescue... too bad FEMA didn't order theirs in advance.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2017/09/29/satellite-phone-supply-running-out-all-head-puerto-rico/716968001/

It's about time, now I just hope some of these phones reach the most needy people in the remoter areas of Puerto Rico.

I hope they get food and water before they get phones.

I can't help but think that if it were Mexico the people themselves would have taken over, broken into the containers, and organized runners to deliver food and water up into the mountains a week ago. Mexicans know not to wait for government help.

Glad things are looking better for the people of PR.

I have a sneaking suspicion that all those containers are being guarded by troops with machine guns.

When Trump goes to visit, please drop him in the most isolated section of the island in the heat of the day and tell him to make his way on foot to San Juan where the containers are. Why on foot? Because the roads are destroyed... there is no gas inland... and he won't be able to call for a helicopter rescue 'cuz, yikes, there's not enough satellite phones to go around.

ferret, I am all for your idea, can we have a hidden camera some place? No, maybe better not, I'd embarrass myself laughing uncontrollably.

ferret wrote:I have a sneaking suspicion that all those containers are being guarded by troops with machine guns.

When Trump goes to visit, please drop him in the most isolated section of the island in the heat of the day and tell him to make his way on foot to San Juan where the containers are. Why on foot? Because the roads are destroyed... there is no gas inland... and he won't be able to call for a helicopter rescue 'cuz, yikes, there's not enough satellite phones to go around.

amen

He will probably head for the nearest golf course. Geez, can't we show a little love for the Donald?

martygraw wrote:

ferret wrote:I have a sneaking suspicion that all those containers are being guarded by troops with machine guns.

When Trump goes to visit, please drop him in the most isolated section of the island in the heat of the day and tell him to make his way on foot to San Juan where the containers are. Why on foot? Because the roads are destroyed... there is no gas inland... and he won't be able to call for a helicopter rescue 'cuz, yikes, there's not enough satellite phones to go around.

amen

I bet if the Donald still had the golf course that he left after not paying 30 million bond he left PR with there would be a place to quickly cooridinate the recue efforts.

Lucky Girl wrote:ferret, I am all for your idea, can we have a hidden camera some place? No, maybe better not, I'd embarrass myself laughing uncontrollably.

I LOVE this idea! If we pitched it to him as a new Reality TV series, he might actually fall for it. And we could put smiles and laughter on the faces of MILLIONS of viewers world wide.

Trailrunner wrote:I hope they get food and water before they get phones.

I can't help but think that if it were Mexico the people themselves would have taken over, broken into the containers, and organized runners to deliver food and water up into the mountains a week ago. Mexicans know not to wait for government help.

Glad things are looking better for the people of PR.

Are you promoting looting?  Not a very good idea.
And where are these world class "runners" coming from that would carry food and water up into the mountains?
TR, those ideas wouldn't fly in Mexico, either.

Of course they would, Slainte! Yes. Loot or die? Loot.

This just now from a friend on FB:
News from Puerto Rico. Read and pass it on:
From Carlos Alberto García in Puerto Rico:
" I am here right now with a sip from a cell tower, which will probably have its diesel stolen promptly and will fade out.
3 died today from lack of dialysis in a hospital - no power for six days, no diesel for the emergency generators, no diesel for the diesel trucks to take the diesel.
I spent 12 hours today to get fuel to go work and the fuel tanker never arrived at the station.
Over 3,000 cadavers were unearthed naturally by flooding in Lares and now float on the township, creating pestilence problems.
There are over 1,200 containers with aid and supplies (food, everything for we are an island) that cannot be distributed for truckers don't have diesel for the trucks.
I have seen a grand total of 2 National Guard trucks going from Ponce up Cayey since the hurricane. That's all the US military presence I've seen firsthand. 99% of everything has been done by us, manually. Police have no radio, no comms, no phones, no gas to move their cars.
99% of PR has no electricity, and 75% has no running water. Over 90% of cell phone service is down. I'm living with a knife-edge machete alongside me, because of the looting and crime.
That's the current situation, in a nutshell, no BS."
(Posted by Kathi Downey Gilleland)

Jreboll wrote:He will probably head for the nearest golf course. Geez, can't we show a little love for the Donald?

martygraw wrote:

ferret wrote:I have a sneaking suspicion that all those containers are being guarded by troops with machine guns.

When Trump goes to visit, please drop him in the most isolated section of the island in the heat of the day and tell him to make his way on foot to San Juan where the containers are. Why on foot? Because the roads are destroyed... there is no gas inland... and he won't be able to call for a helicopter rescue 'cuz, yikes, there's not enough satellite phones to go around.

amen

I could not show a shred of love for the heartless, dispassionate, ignorant person in the white house. I am sure they will take him to an area of San Juan that looks sorta put together and he will never see the real ruin of the territory. I am sorry, but I am not a hateful person, but this man deserves nothing as he is is a self centered, egotistic maniac who will get no respect from me.

Amen!
The US Presidency has sunk to the lowest level imaginable, probably never to be duplicated again.

slainte39 wrote:Amen!
The US Presidency has sunk to the lowest level imaginable, probably never to be duplicated again.

Added to that, there is phenomenon of it somehow being okay now for all the worst of the worst qualities in the population to crawl out into the open. Things such as school kids wearing Klan outfits.