They say Harvey and Maria have been game changers, underlining that we simply cannot wait until after devastation and then start moving. Declare impending disaster, get support on the ground and more on the move before the disaster hits, and emerge running immediately after.

Another followed by saying we have to develop "a culture of preparedness in this country," that it's not enough for each of us to have three days' supplies, but rather REAL preparedness that doesn't fall apart almost immediately.

Boy, is THAT true! Just like the 3.5 million Americans on those islands, almost all of the other 330 million are standing not just naked before advancing disasters, but most of us are gathered in groups of hundreds of thousands and millions potentially far too large to be saved in a few days from outside. And those in rural areas of necessity would come after those. With climate change and all other possible disasters, disease, cyber war, fires beyond anything known previously, etc., we can no longer just assume the necessities to sustain life can always be restored in a couple of days.

Government agencies can't be depended on to meet crises of these new sizes in time to prevent massive deaths, and certainly neither can spotty little efforts of those charitably minded wealthy people who happen to be in the mood. We have to

How many of us here have even a month's food, water, medication, money and trade goods, and critical shelter supplies on hand? How about in our cars? Paper maps and contact info? Communications and regathering plans for families who scatter widely every day?

Almost none, I'm guessing. Today would be a really good time to sit down and start making the first list.

It's one thing to plan for a disaster as an able-bodied adult. But what of those of us who live alone and must use a walker, or are otherwise physically hampered? We are much more dependent on others. And, living alone, our friends, relatives often don't live in the same neighborhood as we do.

Guess the bottom line is that we have to form groups looking out for each other. View ourselves as a community. What a shocking idea!!

the more resilient both personal and larger communities will be. And only think of the emotional benefits!

Beyond the personal, "hampered" people would be in far better positions when stronger neighbors are prepared. Not just because others might be able to help, but more because strong people won't be in immediate need of help that should be directed straight to those who are more fragile or simply cannot adequately care for themselves in emergencies.

I have medical-level heat sensitivity, and the unrelenting heat alone in PR could put me in a hospital bed as my bodily systems started malfunctioning, if only one were available. It may seem feeble, but given that threat I've stocked up on hand fans and carry one with me in my purse at all times. And of course, we have a bunch of water stored on site and in our truck and car, far, far more than average, though these huge disasters make it very clear that it's not enough.

Or temporary, prefabricated harbors, placed near natural anchorages such as were built in less than 72 hours by British engineers during WW2.

instead of sabre rattling NK?

The military needs to go in there with choppers and drop communications specialists, water, food, shelter supplies.

This is outrageous.

Shame on you!

Things started getting better quickly once HW Bush sent in the military. The Florida NG and police were overwhelmed.

They can't get to all the people, who are doing w/o power and even water. All ages. It's a desperate situation.

I am not qualified or informed enough to know what needs to be done.

But I think the world should come together, and a plan done IMMEDIATELY to help...water, at least, can be dropped by airplane, as can food. Can they get medical supplies there? Ordinary body care supplies, like toilet paper, towels, etc?

I just don't know. What are they going to do about money? They don't have jobs, now.

Can the U.S. take them in, resettle them in the U.S.? Or some of them?

I don't know.

Seems like we should be able to help and do something massive and visible that would punch GOP and T in the eye.

and Florida also has a problem, remember Irma? Anyone who didn't get the boat pulled out or manage to rig for storms in time lost the boat. I've seen yachts piled up on shore just from a glancing blow from a Cat 1. Irma was a 4 when she hit the Keys.

The whole region has been devastated by monster hurricanes over the last month. Likely the harbors are impassable to small craft, anyway, because of all the roofs and trees in the water.

Aid is going to have to be organized by the big guys, I'm afraid. Little guys, even if their boats survived, just can't do it all. Or much.

happening and the apparent direction P.R. is going. Half a million residents have left in the last year to the States. And now,anyone who can get a ticket,well,they are so out of there.

Simple answer is,what would you do if your home and job have been wiped out without any short term support system in place. Your bail your ass out of there big time to some where that might have a chance of starting over. Someone forecast today,that over a million people will leave.

Long term, there is no reason why PR (as long as it remains part of the US) shouldn't be a tourist and retirement destination to rival Florida, Arizona, and Texas.

retirees,but not that many. Been there many times and inquired about doing retirement. After doing the calculations and feedback form family,we opted to stay state side. Now with this Storm Damaging most of the Island,it is going to be a long long time before the Retiree Attraction will be viable.

All about dollars,and it will not be cheap.

Are probably salivating over the real estate deals that they can swing from this tragedy.

Congress will give all the rich people huge tax breaks to "rescue" and rebuild Puerto Rico into an island paradise for the rich.

Kit's ,Bart's. More European in culture. And as usual,these three attract the truly ugly Americans.

Realistically, though, disorganized relief can do as much harm as good.

I do support getting San Juan Airport cleared out ASAP and getting folks (especially kids) to the mainland ASAP so they can resume school and have access to resources while rebuilding commences.

Long run, PR's finances need to be dealt with; they'll need a Marshall-Plan type rebuild; and I hope that we can move toward PR/USVI becoming a state.

Not too many boats would be capable of making the trip, let alone having owners with the seamanship skills to actually do it.

We have a fleet of ready reserve ships that are manned with skeleton crews that can be activated in a matter of days. They should already have been loaded and en route to Puerto Rico. I don't know if the Maritime Administration has called for their activation.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/trump-administration-facing-pressure-to-speed-up-recovery-efforts-in-puerto-rico/2017/09/25/18f4571c-a203-11e7-b14f-f41773cd5a14_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_mariatrump-1106pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.a098ad22b8fb

This is a good overview of the situation, I recommend you read it and you'll see why your suggestion is not valid.

Officials leading the response and recovery admit they’re facing serious logistical challenges, starting with damage to the ports and airports. Many of those facilities have been reopened just within the past day or two, but only for daytime operations, because of safety concerns. Radar and control tower capabilities are low, limiting the pace of incoming flights.

Federal officials say there’s no way aid can reach the islands as quickly as it reached Texas or Florida after they were slammed with hurricanes in recent weeks.

“Puerto Rico is an island a thousand miles away from Miami, so help just can’t physically arrive as fast it did to Florida after Hurricane Irma,” Coast Guard Rear Adm. Peter Brown said. “We simply can’t drive thousands of power trucks to Puerto Rico to help on power restoration.”

Federal officials say the reopening of ports is key to disaster recovery because ships can carry far more cargo than aircraft. Brown said air relief often has a more dramatic appearance, but ships are necessary for a humanitarian crisis of this scale.

“An island like Puerto Rico or St. Thomas is fed and supplied by the sea. Ultimately the mass of response is going to come by sea, and getting the ports open is the single best thing the Coast Guard can do to get Puerto Rico back on its feet,” said Brown, who as 7th District commander oversees operations in the islands.

Link to tweet

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