There are parts of Puerto Rico under 15ft of water

[malaise]

Homes and the police station are invisible

This is an earlier report
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/09/23/553165152/-imminent-failure-of-dam-threatens-thousands-in-puerto-rico

[uppityperson]

1. K&R for people

[ATL Ebony]

2. K&R

WOW, that's serious. Hope everyone was able to evacuate those sections.

[HipChick]

3. and the Dotard 27.5 is tweeting about NFL ..This is his Katrina and the media is not calling him out

this folks need help...

[Hortensis]

4. I watched a woman in water reporting her shelter was out of food while

the Republican congress spun its wheels trying to transfer hundreds of millions of dollars from the ACA and Medicaid to wealthy donors and Ruimp was having fun being an ass at an Alabama rally.

These are Americans in trouble.

[yardwork]

5. Why aren't we helping??? Puerto Rico is part of the U.S.

[sheshe2]

6. Trump doesn't like black and brown people.

See here.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029626475

[suffragette]

21. Our view of help differs from those in power who see this as an opportunity, just as they did

Katrina.

They are likely more focused on how this could help them privatize the power grid there than on restoring it.

[mopinko]

7. anybody who wants to apologize for dissing my rant about evacuation

can do so now.

hurricanes aint what they used to be. we really need to get better at every part of this.

[malaise]

8. You cannot evacuate 3.2million people

This wasn't simply a Cat4.5 hurricane - it was one that followed another similar hurricane.
Don't see how the logistics can work. We knew a major disaster was on the way.

By the way you know who sent the military plane (on behalf of CDEMA) to remove everyone from Barbuda.
Venezuela. I'm betting Cuba would do a great job in Puerto Rico but the Con would rather everyone die first.

[roamer65]

9. You must be reading my mind, malaise.

I've been expecting Chinese or Cuban aid to arrive without notice.

[mopinko]

10. no, not everybody could or would evacuate, but

it shouldnt have been that only those that could afford a plane ticket, either.
every person that gets out before the storm is one less person who has to be taken care of after. or rescued off their rooftops.
there should have been large scale military transport for everyone who wanted to leave.
goes ditto for those who were already displaced by irma.

[malaise]

16. I agree with you re only those who can afford plane tickets leaving

but I don't understand the large scale military transport.
I think a much better long term investment would be maintenance of infrastructure. How old is that dam?
Where are homes being built. etc., etc.
The rich just take the profit out of these tourism islands and leave the citizens to fend for themselves. It is embarrassing. Parts of Cuba were hit with a Cat5 Irma including Havana. You'd never know they were even hit if you look at the city now.

While they were being hit they were already sending medical folks to help the Caribbean hit islands.
It's either we build society or we enrich capitalists. Apparently there is no balancce.

[mopinko]

20. tru dat.

i'm mostly trying to say that these storms are gonna keep getting worse, and we really have to get on top of an appropriate response.

we have a navy out there floating around, mostly just scaring people. i am sure many of them would rather be doing something useful.
i bet there are a lot of people there now who wish they could just get the hell out. their homes are washed away and the tourists wont be back for a llloooooonnngg time. what is there to stay for?
again, dont force anyone, but have what we need to get those out that want to get out.

it's gonna be a tough debate about infrastructure. how much do we invest in a losing battle w the ocean, and how much do we invest for the planet that is coming?
this is just the beginning.

[malaise]

22. I'd invest for the planet that's coming

and I agree that the army should be doing something useful.

It's almost comical listening to the Con talking about obliterating a country when hurricanes are doing the same to the mainland and US territories. Obliteration is obliteration - someone should tell him.

[kydo]

11. The lack of response is inexcusable.

Yeah, I know the place is a mess after being wiped out by this killer storm. And that getting help must wait until the storm passes, as ships and planes aren't exactly safe.

But, we can land soldiers on beaches. I have seen from films taken by the military that air on history channel.

Waiting for the air fields and harbors to reopen is way to late.

The USA has the means to get direct help to Puerto Rico. What blows my mind is why aren't we doing it.

We need boots on the ground. Setting up shelters, hospitals, access too food and clean water. You know how fast it takes the military to set that up for war? Mega fast.

Why not use our military to save US lives instead of killing?

[malaise]

17. As another DUer posted on another thread

the US military blows up grids - they don't fix them.

[kydo]

18. They wouldn't be there to rebuild the grid.

But they could be there to help the people and speed up the clean up so the people that do build grids can start sooner.

[mcar]

12. I cannot even imagine this

[Stuart G]

13. k and r..

[Skittles]

14. come on people, pony up some bucks

yes INDEED

https://www.youcaring.com/puertorico-956698

[struggle4progress]

15. knr

[jpak]

19. kick

n/t