Yesterday David A. Graham, writing in The Atlantic argued that it is too early to judge the response of the federal government to the disaster in Puerto Rico. He is wrong.
Graham argues it takes a long time to respond. Not so. Compared to US response in earlier offshore disasters, such as the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, it is too slow. As recently as today, Puerto Rico’s Governor Ricardo Rosselló and San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz both complained that FEMA and other federal officials have not received direction from the top. They said the President and Congress have failed to deliver resources. Hurricane Irma hit Puerto Rico on 6 September. At that time the governor and mayor were satisfied with initial federal response. They noted Puerto Rico’s pre-existing financial difficulties and deteriorated infrastructure, specifically the electrical system, would complicate recovery. Although Hurricane Maria was forming in the mid-Atlantic officials were not prepared for a second direct hit.
It is instructive to see how some other nations have responded to Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Notwithstanding its vast geography Canada has only 10% of the US population. Canadian DART (Disaster Assistance Response Team) forces were assigned to the Caribbean on Sunday 9 September in response to Hurricane Irma. (Operation Renaissance Irma) Their first mission was to Antigua. As the circumstances warranted their missions were modified and expanded. HMCS St. John’s and its helicopter worked in support of relief of Turks and Caicos then deployed to Dominica post Hurricane Maria.
Eventually there were 5 Canadian planes assigned, some operating from Barbados, others from Jamaica, others from Canada to provide first support to Antigua, Dominica, and the BVI. A military transport plane from France assisting with the islands of Guadeloupe and St. Martin/St. Maarten was also called upon to assist with the Turks and Caicos.
Canadian land operations are being managed in cooperation with the government of Barbados. These immediate response teams are working at the express invitation of the governments of the island nations. They are designed to help provide water, food, medical and engineering materials and expertise in the first 60 days following a disaster.
Other relief efforts are being coordinated by the United Nations.
Hurricane Irma left a wake of destruction on several islands in the Caribbean, affecting Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, St. Barthélemy, St. Martin, the United States Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos and other islands in the Caribbean Sea, affecting millions of people and resulting in massive economic damage across the region.
Countries with allied territories in the Caribbean such as France, UK, and Netherlands have shipped aid resources too.
There are several urgent problems that must be addressed immediately. Even more important than the delivery of food is the re-establishment of water supply and sanitation systems. Functioning public health infrastructure is paramount. (Some right-wing economists would deny the existence of public goods but those people disappear at times like these.) Housing, power and communications urgently need to be restored too.
In similar disasters most deaths come from outbreaks of infectious, often water borne disease. Ten months after the Haiti earthquake a cholera epidemic broke out that would eventually claim the lives of 8,500+ and sicken another 700,000 people.
Yesterday, three weeks after Hurricane Irma, FEMA administrator Brock Long announced the USNS Comfort would travel to Puerto Rico. The US Department of Defense has not yet revealed what assets have been deployed or what their plans are regarding relief missions. David A. Graham of the Atlantic Magazine still can’t decide if the President, Congress and Brock Long have taken too long.