Palm Beach County exploring ways to help hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico

Oct. 05--One day after a visit by President Donald Trump offered up a reminder of the humanitarian crisis unfolding on Puerto Rico, Palm Beach County officials are looking for ways to provide assistance to those on the storm-ravaged island.

Local residents of Puerto Rican descent, led by Juan Pagan, president of the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Palm Beach County, met with county officials Wednesday to accelerate local relief efforts to the U.S. territory in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. But several realities and questions make it unclear how the county should proceed, said Jon Van Arnam, deputy county administrator.

PHOTOS: Hurricane Maria damage in Puerto Rico

Pagan and others have asked the county to consider using Fire Rescue stations as donation drop-off points, but Van Arnam said it could make more sense to use other county facilities that are staffed, have more room and don't have emergency response duties.

Puerto Ricans have begun arriving in Florida, including about 6,000 on Tuesday through Miami International Airport, Orlando International Airport and Port Everglades. But it's not clear how many will come to Palm Beach County, making it hard to know what type of welcoming services the county should be prepared to provide.

Van Arnam said he and other county officials will continue to meet to find ways to help.

"We want to help, but we want to make sure it's something that's needed," he said.

Some 43,390 Puerto Ricans live in Palm Beach County, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. As a whole, Florida is home to more than 1 million Puerto Ricans -- up from 482,027 in 2000, census figures show.

Two weeks after Hurricane Maria tore across Puerto Rico, nearly all residents of the U.S. territory remain without power. And the absence of electricity has shut down water systems, heightening concerns about sanitation and disease.

Palm Beach County residents have already moved to help.

Pagan said an estimated 500,000 pounds of goods collected here have been sent to Puerto Rico. Van loads -- not individual items -- can still be taken to the Southgate Facility of the Port of Palm Beach at 301 Broadway in Riviera Beach, he said.

Individual donations -- diapers, batteries, canned goods, female hygiene products, powdered baby formula, mosquito nets, over-the-counter medicines -- are being accepted at the Guatemalan-Maya Center at 430 N. G St. in Lake Worth, Pagan said.

Gov. Rick Scott, meanwhile, announced Thursday that the Florida Virtual School will accept 20,000 Puerto Rican students affected by Hurricane Maria. They can enroll in the program whether they are in Florida or still in Puerto Rico.

Scott also said all Florida school districts are accepting or prepared to accept displaced K-12 students from Puerto Rico in local schools.

The governor has been busy in recent days touring Florida's recovery-assistance efforts, including visits to the American Red Cross distribution warehouse in Orlando on Tuesday and to the Jacksonville Port Authority on Wednesday to view supplies being loaded onto ships for Puerto Rico.

According to the governor's office, some of the other help the state is providing includes:

* The opening of disaster relief centers at Orlando International Airport, Miami International Airport and the Port of Miami, staffed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, American Red Cross and Catholic Charities (Orlando) and the Florida departments of Children and Families; Agriculture and Consumer Services; and Health and Economic Opportunity. The centers are open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., including weekends.

* More than 100 personnel and logistical support from the Florida National Guard on several fronts, including communications and helping to sealift 70 FEMA tractor-trailers from Jacksonville to Puerto Rico.

* Fifty Florida Highway Patrol troopers and 25 patrol vehicles deploying to Puerto Rico this week to assist with law enforcement missions, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement coordinating the deployment of 160 law enforcement officials from Florida and other states to Puerto Rico.

* The State Emergency Response Team coordinating with three private groups to secure three large transport vessels that have a combined passenger capacity of more than 7,500 individuals.

* Florida International University hosting evacuees from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, 90 of whom were dialysis patients.

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