It was September 19, 2017 schools were closed, no one was working, and people were getting ready for a category 5 hurricane. To be honest we thought we were ready, but the reality of the matter is that no one was. We didn’t know the horrors that would come until September 20, 2017 12:00 am when the hurricane finally entered our territory of Puerto Rico.

By the time the hurricane entered Yabucoa, Puerto Rico people had no electricity and some had no running water. The winds were so strong that I, someone who lived in the North of Puerto Rico, felt the winds when María was still in the Southeast of the island. As for cellular phones, I still had some service but my parents and many of my family members did not. I kept up with the weather channel until I lost the signal around 10 a.m. The last thing I remembered was that the hurricane was lowered to a category 4 and that it was beginning to enter the center of the island. Then, we turned our radios on to hear what stations were available, the answer: 5. That’s how the rest of the day was spent – hearing the winds drag zinc rooftops, hearing the sound of wind, fearing that the windows of our house would open from the strong wind, trying to keep the water from entering our household, helping my mother calm down, and hoping that everyone was okay from the madness that was happening outside. We lit up the candles when it became dark, we played card games to help us pass through the boredom that comes along waiting for a hurricane to leave, and then we tried to sleep hoping for the best.

September 21st, 2017 and the days to come were the hardest ones. One would go outside and see destruction. It was horrible, truly devastating. Once there was some type of internet signal, I was able to see what many people were doing to help us. One of them was Lin-Manuel Miranda who partnered with the Hispanic Federation to bring relief efforts to Puerto Rico. Google also created a website through which one could donate to the Mercy Corps to rebuild Puerto Rico. Many more artists and news reporters brought light to the situation, which helped Puerto Rico get better little by little. Several communities also received packages of water and food from their local government offices as well as from the Red Cross. Although this tragedy occurred, there is no denying that the country showed its unity, strength and resilience. #PuertoRicoSeLevanta