Apparently there are 10,000 containers in port but no way to distribute the goods. No drivers, no gas for trucks, and no passable roads to drive on.
You can't rebuilt the islands electrical grid in a couple weeks, when first you have to rebuild the roads, which you can't build because there's no one there to build them because there's no food or water.
I'd say the devastation is truly shocking. It's not particularly shocking that the recovery is just getting started and that they are facing absolutely enourmous logistical problems compounded by the pre-existing state and very poor readiness for this level of event.
The US military relies on the ability to rapidly solve these kind of problems anywhere in the world (even across “big water” from the Continental US) including on-demand road clearing/building with either minimal pre-existing infrastructure or heaving damage to pre-existing infrastructure rendering it unusable.
US law provides broad authority for the use of military resources for disaster relief. It's a failure of the executive branch senior leadership if the need for such resources is not identified and acted on in a timely fashion.
And don't tell me that the army's engineering corps can't spare a bunch of trucks, half-tracks, bulldozers, mobile bridges, etc. That and preparing for/preventing natural disasters is practically what the army's engineering corps exists for, domestically. The US army holds its place in the world because of its astonishing ability to provide extensive logistical support anywhere, anywhen. But we apparently can't manage basic distribution in our own home when the roads get swamped?
The USS Wasp was recently moved from Dominica to PR.
Note, this is still less help than FL received for Irma. FL got Kearsarge + Oak Hill + New York + Iwo Jima. (The last two ships have about 2000 people.. they were clearing roads, restoring electricity, and distributing supplies in FL.. they went home from FL the same day maria was upgraded to a cat 4 and was just off PRs coast.)
And note, USS Wasp was in PR for Irma, then moved to Dominica for Maria, now has moved back a couple of days ago. (USS Wasp has water purification systems.. they're literally distributing water)
[1] - https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2017/10/04...
Which is what the Army, Coast Guard, and Marines -- not to mention all those gold bars in Fort Knox -- are for.
If the current administration wanted to flex every available muscle to help the people of Puerto Rico, it would. But very clearly it doesn't.
DoD has in fact taken over responsibility for local management of disaster response. I couldn't find a MSM source but you can Google Translate this [1] - god help me I had to find the link on /r/the_donald.
[1] - https://www.elnuevodia.com/noticias/locales/nota/cambialalog...
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-puertorico-solar/how-...
The military probably have a lot of experience deploying solar energy infrastructure in places with complex accessibility.
[1] https://www.ecowatch.com/tesla-batteries-puerto-rico-2490950...
Surely there are still 3.4 million Puerto Ricans on the island?
Are they all starving and without water?
Might you possibly be exaggerating?
I can't imagine 3.4 million people stick around with no electricity for 4-6 months, and no local economy. I did not at all mean to claim 3.4 million people have left already.
I am guessing if the electrical grid is truly destroyed and will take 4-6 months to rebuild as reported, how could that not lead to a mass exodus?
The Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration tells NPR that the government is working with the truck driver's union to find a solution for driving with downed power lines and damaged roads, and the Department of Defense says it has sent teams to work on clearing blocked streets.
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/09/28/554297787/...
Which resources should the government haved used and didn't?
What if we just crowdfunded people getting out of PR and helping them get setup in the US? If the US government won't address the humanitarian crisis, yet its still a humanitarian crisis, could we still not address it collectively as private individuals?
When a government turns its back on its citizens, its citizens are left to help their fellow citizens.
EDIT: Based on the thread response, I suppose we'll just watch everyone suffer in Puerto Rico. Mission Accomplished /s
BTW, Puerto Rico has about 3.5 million residents.
Crowdfunding as a patch is both mathematically unlikely in the short term and socially toxic in the long term--this is why we have governments, they can marshal the proper number of zeroes at the end of the number, it's their job. At least, when led by people who believe it is their mission to actually do their jobs.
Yes. As a US citizen, it is far cheaper for me to help a Puerto Rican fly to the mainland and get a job, versus the enourmous money pit that is Puerto Rico's finances (which calls for, in their constitution, taxes be funneled to bondholders before infrastructure).
> Is entirely abandoning Puerto Rico actually what Puerto Ricans want?
This does not matter to me. I'm willing to help those that want to leave and can find opportunity elsewhere. The current US administration as shown they won't help. The Puerto Rican government has no ability to help themselves. Shall we just let people slowly suffer until death?
> Is crowdfunding abandonment the response you would want if your state faced a natural disaster?
When a ship is sinking, you don't demand people stop throwing life rafts and get back on the boat to repair the boat. If I were a natural disaster victim, I would happily accept any form of help provided if I was left with nothing.
at least thats one possible outcome.
With most infrastructures distroyed, tourism industry in Puerto Rico will not employ much people for some time probably, so many Puerto Ricans will be unable to pay a lot of taxes in any case, not if they remain in the island.
Puerto Rico is a US colony (or, more politely, territory), not a foreign country.
I think everyone in the US should take notice of how things are being handled because this could be you in the future.
[0]Link to my resume in case you are hiring and interested:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9bEeheRVaXZZm1YR3EyVkhVWUk...