By Ariadna Godreau Aubert | Founder and director
Hurricanes Helene and Milton impacted thousands of people in the southern parts of the United States. According to the media, Helene caused $46.5 billion in property loss for homeowners across Florida, North and South Carolina, and Georgia. Hurricane Milton's losses exceeded $30 billion. Just as it happened in Puerto Rico after Hurricane María and the subsequent disasters, families were left to fend for themselves, particularly low-income, black and brown communities. Aware of the high number of Puerto Rican diaspora in these jurisdictions, and the existence of Latino populations that are often left behind in recovery processes, we have dedicated part of our resources to accompany and support survivors in these areas.
Days before Hurricane Miton made landfall in Florida, Ayuda Legal Puerto Rico announced a Just Recovery program grounded on solidarity accross borders. Since then we have partnered with groups and organizations on the ground to train the trainers on FEMA and disaster response with a civil rights perspective. We have opened hotlines and our chat to work with survivors who have questions about disaster assistance and appeals, offering them free legal counsel and accompaniment. Beyond that, we are ready to join advocates who will, in the short and long term, continue fighting for the right to equitable distribution of recovery funds and protections against displacements.
We are using this report to ask you to identify and support groups and organizations that work with disaster recovery in your area. While we cannot foresee catastrophes, we can ensure we have the infrastructure to respond and be ready to accompany our communities. These can be instrumental not only for your home but also for others. Don't postpone solidarity.
By Ariadna Godreau Aubert | Founder and Director
By Ariadna Godreau Aubert | Founder and Director
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