How It Feels To Be A Graduate Student Affected By Hurricane Maria
To those of us indirectly affected by the most recent natural disasters, I just want to let you know that you’re not alone. For the past 24 hours I’ve been pulling my hair, crying my eyes out, and overall, calling, texting and reaching out through every social media out there to try and get in touch with my family from Puerto Rico, to no avail. While Irma’s path of chaos and destruction left my home untouched for the most part, María was not so forgiving.
As of this moment, my island remains in the dark, in every way possible. One hundred percent of the island has no power, cell service is down, and my Newsfeed on Facebook had been flooded by those of us who left the island for school, work or any other venture they might’ve chosen. We are all trying to make contact, asking for information about the safety of our loved ones, and for the most part, all we get in return is silence. My heart has kept breaking every time a new video gets posted, when a new image gets shared. I see nothing but chaos and disaster and I feel powerless to help, but I know I’m not alone.
Every building I enter, every colleague I meet has been nothing but supportive, they all know what’s happening and they’re all wishing them well. Every time I’m asked if I’ve heard from my loved ones, every email I’ve gotten from professors and other peers showing their support through this difficult time has been like fuel that’s kept me going, it reminds me that I’m not alone.
I know the loss has been grand, and the recovery will be slow and difficult, but we will rise again and we’ll come back stronger than before. This goes to anyone whose families have been affected by all of the disasters that have been happening all across the globe. If your family suffered from Harvey, Irma, the Mexico earthquake, or even María just now, you are not alone. If there is one thing I want to convey with this post is that my struggle isn’t more important than yours, we are all hurting equally and we all need to stay strong. If you feel like you need to vent, or are struggling to concentrate on your classes, reach out to your peers. There are plenty of resources within the university such as the Counseling Center, which is providing 24 hour service over the phone. The Office of Student Assistance is also at your disposal, as well as several other services throughout campus. In your own time, try to keep yourself busy, find some distractions, get some rest and don’t skip meals. I know these things seem unimportant, but you are not doing your loved ones a favor by starving yourself because of stress.
I’ve seen initiatives from restaurants that are donating percentages of their profit to aide those affected by these disasters, artists that are organizing benefit concerts to help those in need. I’ve seen entire cities putting their police, their military and their medical staff at our disposal, and civilians organizing food and supply drives to send over to those that need them. So please, reach out, help in however way you can, support these community events and know that we are going to be alright.
If you know of any organization that is providing aid to any of the affected countries, states or territories, feel free to comment below, and let’s spread the word too so we can contribute to the wellbeing of those affected. If you have family in Puerto Rico and you’ve lost contact with them, the emergency numbers to call are the following:
1 (877) 976-2400
1 (787) 777-0940
1 (202) 778-0710
If you are looking for information regarding your hometown, there are groups within the Zello app targeting specific locations. There might not be anyone there that’s currently in the affected area, but these groups are mainly composed of people who have gotten in contact with loved ones and are spreading the news. Similar groups can be found on Facebook as well.
To those of you who have reached out to those affected by these catastrophes, thank you for your support. It makes all the difference in the world to know that you have our backs. Thank you for reminding us that we’re not alone, because this is the moment when we need this reminder the most.
