Hurricane Maria Disaster Response
OE-0024 - January 2018 - SAF 2 - Caribbean - USA - Puerto Rico

Hurricane Maria is regarded as being the worst natural disaster on record to affect Dominica and Puerto Rico. The tenth-most intense Atlantic hurricane on record and the most intense tropical cyclone worldwide of 2017, Maria was the thirteenth named storm, eighth consecutive hurricane, fourth major hurricane, second Category 5 hurricane, and the deadliest storm of the hyperactive 2017 Atlantic hurricane season. At its peak, the hurricane caused catastrophic damage and numerous fatalities across the northeastern Caribbean, compounding recovery efforts in the areas of the Leeward Islands already struck by Hurricane Irma. Maria was the third consecutive major hurricane to threaten the Leeward Islands in two weeks, after Irma had made landfall in several of the islands two weeks prior and Hurricane Jose passed dangerously close shortly afterward, bringing tropical storm force winds to Barbuda (Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Maria). On this joint disaster response mission, team members from Rotary, OpEndev and Wings Of Michael S.A.R. deployed to northwestern Puerto Rico to work with the Rotary and Parish leadership team of Nuestra Senora de la Monserrate. The team delivered supplies and household equipment to families in need, participated in reconstruction of homes, and helped to conduct a wide scale Flu and Tetanus Toxoid vaccination clinic a regional parishes for hurricane victims with a goal of 1,000 vaccinated. The team also conducted a meeting with the leadership of the Hospital of The Good Samaritan (Hospital Buen Samaritano) in Aguadilla to assess ongoing needs.