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Blue Tarp Roofs
Four months after the storm, thousands of blue roofs were seen in all parts of the island. It was the first sight we saw when descending into Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport, and it was a common sight for the Raíces crew to come across…
Clearing Brush
Immediately after the storm residents formed brigades to clear the road of debris, including fallen trees, vegetation and landslides. Much of this was piled along the sides of the roads. Upon arriving in Puerto Rico four months after the storm, most…
Destroyed by Maria
Gas station in Loíza Aldea that was destroyed by Hurricane Maria and has been closed since.
Electric Lines Post-Maria
Bent, broken and leaning electric poles were a common sight in every part of the island, even four months after the storm. This went along with electric lines laying across roads and in piles along roadsides, and lines hanging just inches above the…
Abandoned House
Abandoned and completely destroyed houses were seed in every part of the island. Even as attempts to clean up and pile debris were made, there was still no trash collection in the interior four months after the storm, and debris piles remained on the…
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.
Puerta de Tierra
A building that collapsed onto and crushed a car in Puerta de Tierra, San Juan, almost four full months after Hurricane María made landfall on the island.
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.”
El Departamento de la Comida - Closed
We passed by where the Departamento de la Comida restaurant and local food farmer’s market used to be before Hurricane Maria. The restaurant and market were put on hold to create the PR Resiliency Fund project, which will support at least 200…
Che’s - Closed
A well known restaurant, Che’s, which was in Isla Verde in San Juan, remains closed after Hurricane Maria, as did many local businesses.
Mural
The Puerto Rican flag appeared on many murals and pieces of street art seed throughout the one week trip Raíces made in January 2018, four months after Hurricane Maria.
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.