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A Grid Destroyed
The powerful winds of Hurricane Maria brought down tens of thousands of electric poles, snapping and bending some completely in half.
La Coca - Closed
The road into El Yunque National Forest was open in January 2018, but only up until the parking lot directly below La Coca waterfall. The road was too dangerous to travel past this point, with landslides, debris and collapsed roads still a challenge.
Greenhouse Repairs for Finca Mi Casa
While visiting Finca Mi Casa, Raíces crew members assessed the remaining damage and needs on the farm and decided to fund the repair of the greenhouse, which is essential to the growing and seed saving operations at Finca Mi Casa.
Kari
The first time the Raíces crew met Jariksa Valle Feliciano, or Kari, was in 2012 at Plenitud PR, where she was living and working on the Plenitud permaculture farm and eco-education center. During the storm, Kari was living back in her hometown of…
Solar Panels at Radio Casa Pueblo
On January 16, 2018, Casa Pueblo made history for the island of Puerto Rico, inaugurating the first solar power radio transmitter on the island. Through demonstration projects that illustrate and achieve energy independence and resiliency with…
Earthbag House
This earthbag and super adobe house, along with three others around the island of Puerto Rico designed by Plenitud co-founder Owen Ingley, suffered zero damage from Hurricane María.
Sorting Seed Donations
Sorting through seed donations at the PR Resiliency Fund’s “Brigada de Semillas” or Seed Brigade, held in Puerta de Tierra, San Juan from January 15-19, 2018. These seed donations, from Hudson Valley Seed Company, were being sorted for inclusion in…
Blue Roofs
More blue tarp roofs strewn throughout the mountainsides.
“Un árbol es tan fuerte como sus RAÍCES…”
Mural along Rt 2 in Toa Alta that reads “Un árbol es tan fuerte como sus RAÍCES…Yo sé, donde estan las mias…Y TÚ???”, meaning “A tree is as strong as its roots. I know where my roots are…do you?”.
Missing Signs
Many signs for businesses that were damaged during Hurricane Maria had not yet been replaced.
#PRseLevanta
A slogan meaning “Puerto Rico will rise” that was widely used after Hurricane Maria during the relief and recovery efforts. It was seen on t-shirts, bus stops, signs, murals and installations like this one.
Abandoned Homes
Some homes which suffered major damage, including loss of the roof, were abandoned after Hurricane Maria, as residents continued to leave the island to find work, health care services, and open schools for their children.
La Lucha Continúa
Mural in San Juan, Puerto Rico that reads “La Lucha continúa…NO a la Junta de Control Fiscal!”, meaning “The struggle continues…NO to the fiscal control oversight board.”
COPI - Post-Maria
On the first full day in Puerto Rico, the Raíces Crew drove through Piñones and Loíza to visit friends who are musicians and work to preserve culture on the island. We made a stop at COPI, a location Raíces had visited on the 2009 cultural exchanges…
Marife & Francisco at COPI
Marife Roman, employee at COPI, with Francisco G. Gómez, director and co-founder of Raíces Cultural Center.
Marife Roman
Marife Roman at COPI in Piñones.
Abandoned - Piñones
A building destroyed along the coast in Piñones.
Closed Businesses
While some kiosks and small businesses in Piñones have reopened, others remained closed and in disrepair as of January 2018.
Clearing Debris
Clearing debris piles of organic material along road 187 through Piñones into Loíza.
Hanging Lines
A common sight throughout the island, in every municipality, is dangling electric wires and crooked or snapped poles.
Blue Tarp Roof - Loíza
Like many across the island, the roof of the home of the Ayalas in Loíza was ripped off during the storm. On our visit in January, there was still a blue tarp serving as a temporary roof as plans were continuing to be discussed and decided for the…
Vejigante
Vejigante masks made by the Ayalas remain on display in the home.
Talking with the Ayalas
Raíces Director Francisco G. Gómez speaking with Raquel and Junito Ayala about the storm, the aftermath, and the recovery and rebuilding.
Sign for Artesanías Castor Ayala Artisan Shop
Sign for the Artesanías Castor Ayala in January 2018, 4 months after Hurricane María. Culture persists.