On the Anniversary of Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico Victims and Survivors Are Remembered

One year ago today at exactly 6:15 a

Photo: Unsplash/@thetaikun

Photo: Unsplash/@thetaikun

One year ago today at exactly 6:15 a.m. local time, Hurricane Maria — category 5 — made landfall in Puerto Rico and life forever was never the same. On the anniversary of this tragedy, people are remembering not only the victims that perished, which have only recently been acknowledged, but also the survivors who continue to struggle with regaining normalcy.

“It was as if a 50- to 60-mile-wide tornado raged across Puerto Rico, like a buzz saw.” That is how Jeff Weber, a meteorologist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, explained the brutality that people experienced on that day. Yet, despite knowing the turmoil endured, the loss of life, and people who still haven’t recovered from it, the President of the United States fails to see the reality and calls the recovery of a success.

But today isn’t about him, it’s about Puerto Ricans on the island and on the main land. People on social media, including celebs, activists, and empathizers are expressing their thoughts about today’s anniversary, remembering those that died, and providing strength to those still trying to survive.

Carmen Yulín Cruz, the mayor of San Juan, was on of the first to vocalize the severity of Hurricane Maria and has been advocating for her people ever since.

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On this day, she’s retweeting several images and videos of what happened that day, but this song sure is touching.

Lin-Manuel Miranda releases the new single “A Forgotten Spot” to commemorate the anniversary.

The song features several Puerto Rican artists.

Mijente and LatinoJustice PRLDEF — two Latinx organizations — gathered this morning in front of Federal Plaza for a moment of silence and to read off the names of some of the people who died as a result of Hurricane Maria.

These images of the hurricane are still so haunting

Today’s anniversary is especially hard for those who have yet to recover.

And their are ways you can help.

https://twitter.com/Nelba_MG/status/1042722934891196416

These are some of the faces of Puerto Ricans on the island.

Here’s some more ways people are honoring the dead and the survivors.

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Hurricane Maria puerto rico
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