Puerto Rico Seismic Network: Tremors continue, but at a reduced strength 

Víctor Huérfano, Director of the Puerto Rico Seismic Network, says that the seismic activity that has battered Puerto Rico since December and resulted in a 6.4 earthquake on January 7 is becoming more moderate. While seven tremors had been felt by 7:00 a.m. on Monday, none were stronger than a magnitude 4.6 earthquake felt at 5:36 a.m. across the Island.

While only six tremors were detected on Sunday, fourteen were detected on Saturday and twelve were detected on Friday. “We cannot lower our guard,” said Huérfano. “We’ve said it on several occasions, that here there are moments of calm and moments of tranquility […] but we have moments in which movements down there will be unpredictable.”

Given the scale of the destruction caused by the earthquakes, with hundreds of buildings damaged or collapsed, people remain wary and nervous. “Things are moving today, and a lot. There’ve been four that have been felt really strongly. This doesn’t stop and structures continue weakening […],” tweeted Nelson Torres Yordán, mayor of Guayanilla, one of the most heavily-affected municipalities on the Island.

Following Signs of Neglect in Response to Emergency, Governor Fires Health and Housing Secretaries

Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced announced the firings of Puerto Rico Housing Secretary Fernando Gil Enseñat and Family Secretary Glorimar Andújar following the discovery of storage units containing emergency supplies that had not been distributed after the state of emergency was declared. The two storage units, one in Ponce and one in Guaynabo, were managed by the Bureau for the Management of Emergencies and Disaster Administration (NMEAD, in Spanish), whose former director, Carlos Acevedo, was also fired by the Governor last week. 

Both the Housing and Family Departments play key roles in the distribution of supplies during emergencies. The Family Department is responsible for overseeing donations and supplies, while the Housing Department manages the shelters where the emergency supplies are handed out to victims. 

The discovery of these undistributed supplies– which parallels similar discoveries following Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017– has led to protests and calls for the Governor Vázquez Garced’s resignation. Minutes after the Governor announced the firings, protesters met in San Juan. Earlier that day, nearly 200 people met in Ponce to protest the government’s handling of the emergency.

“What has happened with the storage unit […] dramatically affects Puerto Rico’s credibility before the people and federal agencies,” said Resident Commissioner González, who last week travelled across the affected areas as part of a congressional delegation. After a storage unit in his municipality was discovered, Mayor Pérez Otero of Guaynabo stated that “I am very saddened and offended that the history that we lived through with Hurricane Maria has been repeated.” 

Critics Say Federal Response to Puerto Rico’s Earthquakes Continues Pattern of Apathy, Hostility

Any hope that the disaster caused by continuing earthquakes would galvanize federal agencies to work faster to provide long-term relief for Puerto Rico has been dashed. Not only did the Trump administration wait five days before responding to Puerto Rico’s request that the Island be placed under a federal state of emergency, but new guidelines established by HUD on the use of Community Development Block Grants — Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds suggest a greater interest in being punitive than in providing relief.

Among these conditions— described by now-former Housing Secretary Fernando Gil as “excessive hindrances”—are a ban on using emergency funds to repair or rebuild Puerto Rico’s power grid and a suspension of the $15-per-hour minimum wage for workers on projects funded using federal money. Additionally, projects using CDBG-DR funds will need to obtain the approval of both the federal financial monitor assigned to Puerto Rico and the Financial Oversight and Management Board (FOMB) before they can move forward. Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced has stated that her administration will consider asking for amendments to the conditions.

Rep. Raul Grijalva, Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, which handles Puerto Rican affairs, released a statement on Friday slamming Trump’s new conditions. “The people of Puerto Rico have lost homes, suffered and died because the Trump administration didn’t care about American citizens in a time of crisis. The President considers disaster recovery money nothing more than a bargaining chip in his petty, unrelated political vendetta against people of color. Claiming you’re worried about corruption when in reality you’re illegally withholding appropriated funding as part of a personal political agenda is itself a corrupt act. The President was willing to risk national security when he did this in Ukraine, and he’s willing to prolong and deepen an ongoing humanitarian crisis by doing the same thing in Puerto Rico.” Chairman Grijalva also authorized a staff delegation to travel to Puerto Rico over the weekend to survey the damage.

Since then, a separate congressional delegation, comprising of Reps. Bill Posey (R-FL), Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), Donna Shalala (D-FL) and Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González, traveled to Puerto Rico.

Congressional Briefing: Earthquakes in Puerto Rico, What is the Current Situation?

At least three non-profit groups are uniting forces with the office of Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) to present a briefing on the situation in Puerto Rico following recurring earthquakes. Over a two- hour period, guests will be able to hear speakers representing the Puerto Rico Seismic Network, the United States Geological Survey, the Earth from Space Institute, Oxfam America and Vamos4PR. The event is taking place on Wednesday, January 22 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., at 2361 Rayburn House Office Building. The event is also listed on Facebook.

Where to Donate to Help Puerto Rico with Disaster Relief and Recovery after the Earthquakes

You can help by donating to charities in Puerto Rico that are leading the effort to mitigate the unfolding humanitarian crisis. Here are some proven organizations with direct access to the victims of these disasters. You can visit their online donation pages or send a check to the addresses listed.