Sheltering from the storm, then the aftermath

Sep 20, 2022

I've been seeing reports of devastation across Puerto Rico and other locations hit by Fiona. My heart goes out to everyone affected, and I'm hoping recovery from the storm goes quicker than expected. The infrastructure in Puerto Rico was not ready for the massive amounts of rain. I'm afraid this will be just one more hit for communities that were already struggling, from COVID, from María 5 years ago, from earthquakes and economic troubles.

Luckily, we are all safe and sound from Hurricane Fiona. San Juan was spared the worst of it. Right now, we are waiting for our flight in a mostly empty airport with clear skies.

On Sunday morning, the winds picked up and rain continued to increase throughout the day. Our power went out. Here are some images showing how we passed the day:

Oscar turned 6 1/2 years old. We started singing “halfie birthday” during the pandemic and it's a new tradition.

Dungeons & dragons: no electricity needed to roll some dice

Dress up as Mando and check out the leaves blown off trees

In the evening, LEGO building by lantern

That night we slept ok without our air conditioning because the air outside was relatively cool. Alice was scared and needed to sleep right next to me, so between that and the humidity I didn't sleep so well.

Overnight, our water shut off.

Yesterday was more of the same, but with less wind and more torrential rain showers.

No power, no water. I collected rain water to flush toilets and wash dishes. I didn't think the buckets would fill up, but 90 minutes later they were overflowing.

Grilling burgers, and they were worth it!

By the end of the day, everything was damp. The floors, the walls, the bedsheets. Does humidity bother you? It makes me feel uncomfortable. We slept well because of exhaustion. We woke up early to go to the airport. Everything looks to be on time for now, but it will be a very long day, so please wish us a smooth and easy time.

Again, I'm thinking about everyone not as lucky as us. ♥️