PSA about sending care packages to Puerto Rico

[Tsavo]

My husband has been in Puerto Rico all week trying to stand up some of his company's factories that were directly hit by the hurricane. The company has been sending shipments of water and fuel and other supplies to them. At first they were not receiving them. It turns out the Government there is confiscating all shipments and care packages that come through San Juan and distributing them however they like.

Once my husband realized this was happening, he arranged for the shipments to come through smaller ports. Now they are getting through.

If you know people sending supplies, please let them know about this issue and to try to arrange shipment through a smaller port other than San Juan. Otherwise your people will probably not receive them.

My husband has stood up two of the four buildings of the plant and people are back to work earning money. They have enough water and fuel but are self-rationing food. He is losing weight which is okay in general... he had some weight to lose. He didn't say so but I suspect he is probably hungry often. He will stay until all the buildings are operational which he estimated would be at least another week. He flew in on a charter because the airport was closed to commercial. The airport is open now. By the time he can come home, the crowds wanting to leave will have left and he won't have lines for a commercial flight home.

[boots-aregard]

Thanks for the update, Tsavo.

[Tsavo]

I spoke to my husband again. The food situation has eased up a lot where he is on the north side. Stores are selling food and some restaurants are open. The water situation is pretty stable and the fuel situation is getting better each day (still have to wait hours for gas but you can get it that day as opposed to camping out in line). His company arranged gas supplies so he just fills his tank at the plant. He drove around the north coast and I get the impression things are not desperate any more at least in that area which is good because it took a direct hit.

His boss, boss's boss, and boss's boss's boss are coming next week to survey the situation. The plan is for the boss's boss to stay indefinitely which may or may not allow my husband to come home at that point. If he is still needed he will stay indefinitely with his boss's boss to continue picking up the pieces. If he isn't needed any more he will likely return on the corporate jet with those other guys. That would be nice to fly back on that after being down there. It would be the first time he has been on one of the corporate jets.

[Tsavo]

Things appear to be improving on the north coast west of San Juan.

My husband actually had a decent dinner with the corporate guys at his hotel. They now have A/C but still no hot water which I think it specific to that hotel.

The company did a deal with Claro and got them off generators and onto a power line in exchange for an internet cable line. Claro was having trouble with getting fuel and people looting the fuel they got. So now that area of the coast is back on line providing stable internet service because of this. Meanwhile all the supplies the company has are under armed guard. That's what is necessary at the moment but I am betting that eases up.

Those corporate guys told my husband he was the only person who could lead the recovery who was willing to go to Puerto Rico. So that was pretty amazing. We had lived there for 3 years and although he worked at another plant, he was very familiar with the plant he is standing up. The one guy who is staying will probably not have to be there more than a week or so because most of the heavy lifting on the recovery of the plant is done. They did invite him to fly home later in the week on the corporate jet so that will be cool.

What a trip.

[Hayburner]

Thanks for the update on Puerto Rico. I was certainly upstanding of your husband to travel there for his company, especially when other employees declined.

I'm sure it will be exciting to ride in the corporate jet especially after all the devastation he has seen and lived with.

[Tsavo]

Forgot to mention that my husband's company is paying all employees as if they worked when the plant was shut down. And they are handling financing (not purchase though) of generators for any employee who wants one. Plus they got the north central coast back on internet with the deal my husband did.

In the DR, they provide all employees two meals a day and let them take food away for the third meal. And they build schools there. Very cool corporate citizen.

[Briarwood]

It is heartwarming to know that your husband and his employer are doing things to help. ( And certainly more help than throwing paper towels, as we saw 45 do today. )

[Tsavo]

Coming home.

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[Tsavo]

Well my husband is returning to PR but only for a day or two with an IT subject matter expert to do some IT mumbo jumbo. Because they need to get down there ASAP, it will be a corporate jet down there and back for both of them.