Hurricane Fiona

Devastating landslides at Las Casas de la Selva.

17th to 18th September 2022, Hurricane Fiona passed over Puerto Rico, and Patillas received 27″ of rain. Landslides were the major events at the project, and we also lost our forest bridge that leads into our plantations. The force of the water was extremely high and violent, as we have seen all over PR after Fiona. We have also lost access to our plantations from the Las Mulas side as the municipal road suffered a huge landslide.

It has been a devastating event. The main drive suffered two land slides, the vegetation was cleared in the week following the hurricane by a volunteer Team Echo, then work with a tractor by Andres Rua, then finally the Patillas municipal bulldozer. Thrity was trapped for four days. The electric line is also down, so the generator is on for maybe the next two months. Thrity is working with volunteers to clean up, Andres is working on the water system, and the future looks towards ecological restoration being a major part of what we do.

Thank you to everyone who has reached out to help, and a huge thank you to those that have come and given a hand at a very challenging time.

Please help in whatever way you can.

https://eyeontherainforest.org/donate/

Links to Press Reports & Other publications
https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2022/09/puerto-rico-crippled-by-flash-flooding-and-power-failures-as-fiona-heads-toward-bermuda/
https://www.accuweather.com/en/hurricane/fiona-rainfall-totals-in-puerto-rico-rival-hurricane-marias-downpours/1249695
https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2020/1022/ofr20201022_sheet_geospatial.pdf