This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/08/us/puerto-rico-earthquake.html
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| After Homes Collapse in Earthquake, Puerto Ricans Ask: Are We Safe? | After Homes Collapse in Earthquake, Puerto Ricans Ask: Are We Safe? |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| GUÁNICA, P.R. — On what would have been Jeremy Lugo’s first day of seventh grade after moving back to Puerto Rico from Florida, his middle school collapsed. | GUÁNICA, P.R. — On what would have been Jeremy Lugo’s first day of seventh grade after moving back to Puerto Rico from Florida, his middle school collapsed. |
| A powerful earthquake that rattled the southwestern region of the island on Tuesday knocked much of Agripina Seda Middle School, with its gleaming cream-and-blue walls, to the ground. | A powerful earthquake that rattled the southwestern region of the island on Tuesday knocked much of Agripina Seda Middle School, with its gleaming cream-and-blue walls, to the ground. |
| “I froze,” his mother, Maribel Báez, said with a shudder of the moment the temblor hit. “And he was scared.” | “I froze,” his mother, Maribel Báez, said with a shudder of the moment the temblor hit. “And he was scared.” |
| “I guess I can’t study anymore,” 14-year-old Jeremy joked. | “I guess I can’t study anymore,” 14-year-old Jeremy joked. |
| Ms. Báez and her family are now not only without a school but also among the thousands of Puerto Ricans who are living out of their cars or under tents because they are too fearful of the structures where they live. The family has been sleeping under the stars on a shared Red Cross cot. | Ms. Báez and her family are now not only without a school but also among the thousands of Puerto Ricans who are living out of their cars or under tents because they are too fearful of the structures where they live. The family has been sleeping under the stars on a shared Red Cross cot. |
| Across swaths of southern Puerto Rico, families are huddled on parking lots, basketball courts and even roadsides, as an unrelenting series of aftershocks continues to rock the island. At least 45 earthquakes of 3.0 magnitude or higher were registered since early Tuesday morning, according to the Puerto Rico Seismic Network. Two-thirds of the island’s 3.2 million people remained without power. | Across swaths of southern Puerto Rico, families are huddled on parking lots, basketball courts and even roadsides, as an unrelenting series of aftershocks continues to rock the island. At least 45 earthquakes of 3.0 magnitude or higher were registered since early Tuesday morning, according to the Puerto Rico Seismic Network. Two-thirds of the island’s 3.2 million people remained without power. |
| For many, the biggest worry is what comes next. On an island where 70 percent of the structures were constructed before quake-resistant building codes were enacted, many fear that their children may be enrolled in unsafe schools like Jeremy’s, or that fissures in their homes could expand and lead to collapse. | For many, the biggest worry is what comes next. On an island where 70 percent of the structures were constructed before quake-resistant building codes were enacted, many fear that their children may be enrolled in unsafe schools like Jeremy’s, or that fissures in their homes could expand and lead to collapse. |
| The Trump administration on Wednesday approved Puerto Rico’s request for a federal disaster declaration, which will release some funding for things like debris removal and financial assistance for people who lost their homes. But that did little to ease people’s fears that what remained of their homes might be unsafe. | The Trump administration on Wednesday approved Puerto Rico’s request for a federal disaster declaration, which will release some funding for things like debris removal and financial assistance for people who lost their homes. But that did little to ease people’s fears that what remained of their homes might be unsafe. |
| “There are a lot of people who prefer to sleep outside, or anywhere that is not their own home,” Gov. Wanda Vázquez said. “This is very important for people to understand and realize what these two quakes meant to us.” | “There are a lot of people who prefer to sleep outside, or anywhere that is not their own home,” Gov. Wanda Vázquez said. “This is very important for people to understand and realize what these two quakes meant to us.” |
| Puerto Ricans were all too aware that the island’s aging buildings, particularly its schools, were vulnerable to hurricane winds and flooding. But few had seriously thought they could also be destroyed by powerful earthquakes, which had been relatively rare in recent years. Some homes that were elevated to avoid storm surge — a risk made apparent with the thousands of homes damaged or destroyed during Hurricane Maria in 2017 — collapsed when the ground moved. | Puerto Ricans were all too aware that the island’s aging buildings, particularly its schools, were vulnerable to hurricane winds and flooding. But few had seriously thought they could also be destroyed by powerful earthquakes, which had been relatively rare in recent years. Some homes that were elevated to avoid storm surge — a risk made apparent with the thousands of homes damaged or destroyed during Hurricane Maria in 2017 — collapsed when the ground moved. |
| On Tuesday, the education secretary, Eligio Hernández, was quoted saying that up to 95 percent of the island’s public schools were not built up to current earthquake building codes, despite Puerto Rico’s location on the border of two tectonic plates. Classes have been suspended indefinitely so the buildings can be inspected. | |
| “We are going to evaluate the totality of the agency’s infrastructure,” Mr. Hernández said at a news conference. “All of the schools were inspected after Maria by the Army Corps of Engineers, all of them, so they could operate.” | “We are going to evaluate the totality of the agency’s infrastructure,” Mr. Hernández said at a news conference. “All of the schools were inspected after Maria by the Army Corps of Engineers, all of them, so they could operate.” |
| But he noted that schools built in the 1950s or ’60s were designed to comply with older building codes that did not include modern seismic safety standards. | But he noted that schools built in the 1950s or ’60s were designed to comply with older building codes that did not include modern seismic safety standards. |
| Emilio Colón Zavala, an engineer who is the immediate past president of the Puerto Rico Builders Association, said the building code that required quake resilience was enacted in 1987. About 70 percent of the island’s infrastructure, including more than 500 schools, was built before 1980, Mr. Colón said. A plan a decade ago to retrofit public schools ended after only about 100 schools were renovated, he said. | |
| Félix Rivera Arroyo, president of the Earthquake Commission of the Puerto Rico Engineers Association, said there was no law that required the more than 850 schools on the island to keep up-to-date with new code revisions. | Félix Rivera Arroyo, president of the Earthquake Commission of the Puerto Rico Engineers Association, said there was no law that required the more than 850 schools on the island to keep up-to-date with new code revisions. |
| “The problem is the government does not have a law that requires inspections,” Mr. Rivera said. | “The problem is the government does not have a law that requires inspections,” Mr. Rivera said. |
| After Hurricane Maria, the Federal Emergency Management Agency pressured Puerto Rico to enact even stricter building codes, which took effect two months ago. | After Hurricane Maria, the Federal Emergency Management Agency pressured Puerto Rico to enact even stricter building codes, which took effect two months ago. |
| Even the 1987 building codes may not have offered full protection: A school in the town of Yauco, built just 15 years ago, was heavily damaged during Tuesday’s quakes. | Even the 1987 building codes may not have offered full protection: A school in the town of Yauco, built just 15 years ago, was heavily damaged during Tuesday’s quakes. |
| The continuing power failures were proving to be an equally pressing problem for an island that did not see full electrical service restored until nearly a year after Hurricane Maria. | The continuing power failures were proving to be an equally pressing problem for an island that did not see full electrical service restored until nearly a year after Hurricane Maria. |
| About 1 million electrical customers still had no power on Wednesday, and the outages also left about 250,000 customers without running water. | About 1 million electrical customers still had no power on Wednesday, and the outages also left about 250,000 customers without running water. |
| “This is a question of hygiene and health,” Elí Díaz, the president of the water department, told WKAQ radio. “People can go without water for one day, maybe two. Now is when things start getting a little harder.” | “This is a question of hygiene and health,” Elí Díaz, the president of the water department, told WKAQ radio. “People can go without water for one day, maybe two. Now is when things start getting a little harder.” |
| On Twitter, the power authority said it was generating 955 megawatts of power by Wednesday evening, about 40 percent of the amount normally needed at this time of year. | On Twitter, the power authority said it was generating 955 megawatts of power by Wednesday evening, about 40 percent of the amount normally needed at this time of year. |
| Authorities were working around the clock to fire up power plants around the island, but it was unclear whether they could generate enough electricity to make up for the loss of the island’s major power plant, known as Costa Sur. | Authorities were working around the clock to fire up power plants around the island, but it was unclear whether they could generate enough electricity to make up for the loss of the island’s major power plant, known as Costa Sur. |
| Towns in the southwest hit hardest by the earthquakes were struggling with all the problems combined: collapsed buildings, no power, no water and long lines at the few stores that were open. | Towns in the southwest hit hardest by the earthquakes were struggling with all the problems combined: collapsed buildings, no power, no water and long lines at the few stores that were open. |
| In Guánica, a coastal town that experienced much of the quake’s destruction, the school Jeremy Lugo would have attended, Agripina Seda Middle School, suffered a catastrophic failure when its second and third stories pancaked onto the first story. | In Guánica, a coastal town that experienced much of the quake’s destruction, the school Jeremy Lugo would have attended, Agripina Seda Middle School, suffered a catastrophic failure when its second and third stories pancaked onto the first story. |
| Rubén Díaz León, the town’s emergency manager, said another middle school and an elementary school were also probably unusable, as a result of serious internal cracking. | Rubén Díaz León, the town’s emergency manager, said another middle school and an elementary school were also probably unusable, as a result of serious internal cracking. |
| Government inspectors were scheduled to visit on Thursday, but he already had his own assessment: “No, no, no, no, no.” | Government inspectors were scheduled to visit on Thursday, but he already had his own assessment: “No, no, no, no, no.” |
| Inside the town’s emergency management center, a chart scribbled onto a whiteboard listed all the damaged properties and infrastructure, including 28 homes destroyed and 121 damaged, along with the damaged schools. | Inside the town’s emergency management center, a chart scribbled onto a whiteboard listed all the damaged properties and infrastructure, including 28 homes destroyed and 121 damaged, along with the damaged schools. |
| Students from José Rodríguez de Soto Middle School might be able to move into an older, shuttered building, officials said, but no one knew what would happen to the students from Agripina Seda or María L. McDougall Elementary School, where the building’s main column appeared to have cracked. | Students from José Rodríguez de Soto Middle School might be able to move into an older, shuttered building, officials said, but no one knew what would happen to the students from Agripina Seda or María L. McDougall Elementary School, where the building’s main column appeared to have cracked. |
| Carlos Del Valle, a municipal employee who also toured the schools, said he saw cracked columns and a collapsed mezzanine in one of the buildings. | Carlos Del Valle, a municipal employee who also toured the schools, said he saw cracked columns and a collapsed mezzanine in one of the buildings. |
| “Thank God classes had not resumed,” he said. | “Thank God classes had not resumed,” he said. |
| Meanwhile, Guánica residents were looking out for themselves. Stephanie Quiñones, 24, and her sister Amira, 11, got to work when a portable water truck arrived at the Mariano “Tito” Rodríguez sports complex. Nearly 300 residents of Guánica had spent the night on cots and under makeshift tents in the complex’s parking lot, and the indoor bathrooms were in rotten shape. | Meanwhile, Guánica residents were looking out for themselves. Stephanie Quiñones, 24, and her sister Amira, 11, got to work when a portable water truck arrived at the Mariano “Tito” Rodríguez sports complex. Nearly 300 residents of Guánica had spent the night on cots and under makeshift tents in the complex’s parking lot, and the indoor bathrooms were in rotten shape. |
| Ms. Quiñones filled a plastic bucket with water and, with her sister’s help, hauled it into the building to flush the toilets. They were so clogged that the water was only enough to flush one — which meant several trips to the truck. | Ms. Quiñones filled a plastic bucket with water and, with her sister’s help, hauled it into the building to flush the toilets. They were so clogged that the water was only enough to flush one — which meant several trips to the truck. |
| “It’s trembling — be careful,” Ms. Quiñones told her sister during one of the trips as she felt the earth lightly sway. | “It’s trembling — be careful,” Ms. Quiñones told her sister during one of the trips as she felt the earth lightly sway. |
| “You hear it first,” Ms. Quiñones said, as they stood amid boxes of bottled water, looking exhausted. | “You hear it first,” Ms. Quiñones said, as they stood amid boxes of bottled water, looking exhausted. |
| “It’s like a small explosion,” said her husband, Carlos Del Valle, 28. | “It’s like a small explosion,” said her husband, Carlos Del Valle, 28. |
| Lines were forming outside grocery stores in some parts of the island that were hardest hit by the quakes. | Lines were forming outside grocery stores in some parts of the island that were hardest hit by the quakes. |
| “We are always the forgotten ones — no help gets here,” said Jessica Ramos Sotero as she stood in line under a blazing sun at one of the three bakeries in the town of Guayanilla that were open. “Please, let people know what is happening here.” | “We are always the forgotten ones — no help gets here,” said Jessica Ramos Sotero as she stood in line under a blazing sun at one of the three bakeries in the town of Guayanilla that were open. “Please, let people know what is happening here.” |
| Jeremy and his mother planned to spend another night outdoors, even though Mr. Díaz, the emergency manager, insisted the public housing complex where they live is safe. | Jeremy and his mother planned to spend another night outdoors, even though Mr. Díaz, the emergency manager, insisted the public housing complex where they live is safe. |
| “Everything in the apartment is destroyed,” Ms. Báez said. | “Everything in the apartment is destroyed,” Ms. Báez said. |
| Her son noted that a church in another town, Guayanilla, was also demolished. | Her son noted that a church in another town, Guayanilla, was also demolished. |
| “Not even the priest is safe,” Jeremy said. | “Not even the priest is safe,” Jeremy said. |
| Patricia Mazzei reported from Guánica, P.R., Edmy Ayala from Guayanilla, P.R., and Frances Robles from Miami. Alejandra Rosa contributed reporting from San Juan, P.R. Kitty Bennett contributed research. | Patricia Mazzei reported from Guánica, P.R., Edmy Ayala from Guayanilla, P.R., and Frances Robles from Miami. Alejandra Rosa contributed reporting from San Juan, P.R. Kitty Bennett contributed research. |