On September 17th, 2022, a deadly hurricane struck Puerto Rico, an American territory located in the Caribbean. Not a week later, Florida was struck by another hurricane, equally as strong. However, the aftermath in the two places was completely different. The entire island of Puerto Rico is still recovering power, and where it is restored, is unreliable and irregular. Florida, on the other hand, had most of their power restored in the week following the storm. 

At Bronx Science, only 35% of students interviewed were familiar with the storm that hit Puerto Rico, Hurricane Fiona. When asked about Hurricane Ian, which hit Florida, just 1% of those students reported knowing nothing about it. How could this be, when our school even has a relief drive for the Puerto Ricans who have lost so much from the storm? 

Hurricane season typically lasts from June until November, making Ian and Fiona’s presence not all that shocking. The difference, however, is that Hurricanes are now hitting more frequently, meaning that areas with fewer resources, such as Puerto Rico, can’t recover as quickly (not even by the time the next storm tears through). It also means that for areas where resources are less of a concern, such as Florida, these deadly disasters are becoming normalized. In 2019, each hurricane had an average of three fatalities. In 2020, that rose to four deaths on average, and in 2021, a staggering ten deaths taken from each hurricane. Yet there have been over 170 lives lost in the direct aftermaths of hurricanes Fiona and Ian. Death tolls are understated and greater, in part due to the lack of urgency by locals who seem to be growing less wary of worsening threats. 

Many of us have probably seen the Instagram stories and posts of shocking or new tragic statistics from Puerto Rico, adorned with links to donation-sites. However, they’re paid little mind. Small informational tidbits tend to get lost amongst more viral posts, like Trump-tweets, the Queen’s death, and more. After all, it is the hurricane season and it seems like Puerto Rico is millions of miles away. As something that seems to have no connection to them, Hurricane Fiona just isn’t something Americans are seeing as a priority. The New York Times reported that nearly half of Americans don’t even realize that Puerto Ricans are American citizens. Those that do care enough to spread the news gain little traction, leaving Puerto Rico with a need for executive aid. 

Lucas Geerken ’24 said, “I have family in Puerto Rico and they were hit pretty hard. They are all okay, but the lack of response and emergency funding/aid from the Government is both worrying and frustrating.” And he’s not alone in that sentiment. 

A common criticism of the government is the neglect of territories such as Puerto Rico. In fact, Hurricane Fiona hitting Puerto Rico has brought up countless comparisons between President Biden’s response and former President Trump’s response to hurricane Maria, the deadly storm that wreaked havoc in 2021. Although both presidents visited the island less than a month after the storms hit in order to address the relief efforts provided by the federal government, the attitude from each leader was very different. Trump claimed during his visit that his efforts were a “tremendous success.” Biden, on the other hand, focused on condolences and promised to commit to the island’s recovery “for as long as it takes.” The difference is that Trump treated the problem as if it had already been solved, while Biden seemed to understand that the destruction is a lasting issue that needs to be continuously addressed. In the six months following hurricane Maria, over 2,000 more lives were lost due to damages and storm-related complications. Hopefully, Biden’s commitment to recovery will prevent another tragedy like Maria. 

“I’ve seen much less media coverage from Hurricane Fiona and more about how little the government is doing about it,” said Autumn Magar-Matsuoka ’23. 

Trump’s reaction to Puerto Rico is a large part of the spotlight being on the President. It makes sense that the government would be under criticism after Trump’s precedent. However, it seems the former president’s attitude towards Puerto Rico is similar to that of most people’s attitude towards Florida and Hurricane Ian. It’s easy for uninformed people to assume that they are getting all of the government support they need because of Florida’s experience with high-caliber storms and, of course, their being a high-profile state that is often in the news for all sorts of reasons. However, Florida-officials have been receiving plenty of attacks on their decisions made around the preparations for hurricane Ian. Lee County, which had been described by the Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, as “ground zero” for the hurricane, was told to evacuate a mere day before disaster hit. Then, DeSantis was one of the officials to defend this decision later on. “Everyone wants to focus on a plan that might have been done differently,” stated Carmine Marceno, the Sheriff who called for evacuation. ” I wouldn’t have changed anything.” How could this have been a positive when Lee County alone has lost over 60 lives, which makes up over a third of the total deaths?

On the other hand, while nearly everyone has heard of Hurricane Ian, many don’t realize that it killed over 140 Floridians. It may be that people feel the situation isn’t too dire, because the state seems to be getting the resources they need. For instance, a photo went viral on discussion pages of nearly 2 million utility/electrical trucks, brought in from all over the country, lined up ready to make repairs caused by the storm. While Florida may have the support of the government, they seem to have little support from neighbors. 

Some people argue that the lightheartedness surrounding Hurricane Ian was a positive, as it made a stressful situation a little less stressful for some. 22-year old Chloe Mayo, for instance, posted a log of her evacuation with audio that sounded like a goofy pep talk. “I just needed to lighten the mood… [memes] definitely help ease some anxiety – even if just for a second,” she explained. After living through decades of hurricanes, Florida native, Preice Anderson, a full-time TikToker, said “I know a lot of people who have never been through one, and I see them panicking. I know it’s a serious thing, but let me put a little fun in it.” Some more experienced influencers even posted entertaining videos about storm-preparedness, trying to reach people who don’t know the dangers and might not be well-equipped. So, although there may be some good intent with these reactions to Hurricane Ian, it’s important for outsiders to remember the serious consequences of these storms.

Lucas Geerken ’24 said, “I have family in Puerto Rico and they were hit pretty hard. They are all okay, but the lack of response and emergency funding/aid from the Government is both worrying and frustrating.” And he’s not alone in that sentiment.