- Title: Boarding up windows, trimming trees - Puerto Ricans prep for Dorian
- Date: 28th August 2019
- Summary: PLAYA HUCARES, PUERTO RICO (AUGUST 28, 2019) (REUTERS) LOCAL RESIDENT, ERARIO REYES CARRSQUILLO, DRILLING BOARD OVER WINDOW VARIOUS CLOSER SHOTS OF CARRSQUILLO DRILLING CARRSQUILLO TIGHTENING SCREW ON BOARD GENERAL VIEW OF CARRSQUILLO TIGHTENING SCREWS GENERAL VIEW OF CARRSQUILLO'S HOME WITH BOARD COVERING WINDOW (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LOCAL RESIDENT, ERARIO REYES CARRSQUILLO, SAYING: "Well, I don't really know, but according to the news on the television, supposedly we're going to get a lot of rain, strong wind - they say 70 miles per hour. This is a lot and we have to protect ourselves." GENERAL VIEW OF LOCAL RESIDENT LUIS LOZADA WORKING ON HOUSE CLOSER VIEW OF LOZADA COVERING WINDOW WITH METAL SIDING LOZADA TIGHTENING SCREWS ON SIDING LOZADA BANGING FIST AGAINST SIDING TO SECURE IT PERSON WORKING WITH LOZADA HANDING SIDING TO SOMEONE ELSE GENERAL VIEW OF LOZADA AND FRIEND WORKING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LOCAL RESIDENT, NILSA MANREY ROSA, SAYING: "The water. We don't know yet if it's going to enter here or there. We don't yet know the trajectory of the storm. We need to protect ourselves." (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LOCAL RESIDENT, LUIS LOZADA, SAYING: "Thank God we have prepared based on what we've already experienced last year." LOZADA PUTTING BOARD INTO TRUCK TRUCK WITH MECHANISM PICKING UP TREE TRIMMINGS MECHANISM DUMPING BRANCHES INTO TRUCK TRUCK WITH TRIMMINGS PASSING BY WITH FOCUS ON SIDE OF TRUCK READING "MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT OF NAGUABO" GENERAL VIEW OF BEACH PALM TREES SIGN READING: "WELCOME TO LA FANDUCA BEACH, NAGUABO, P.R., COCO'S RESTAURANT" VARIOUS OF PALM TREES STIRRING IN THE BREEZE WAVES ROLLING IN VARIOUS OF HOMES ON THE HILLSIDE WATER ROLLING IN TATTERED PUERTO RICAN AND U.S. FLAGS FLYING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) COMMUNITY LEADER, RONALD FRAE LOPEZ, SAYING: "We are prepared with the favor of God. We hope nothing serious happens, just rain, a little difficult for us because of the flooding. We are prepared for this event with the favor of God."
- Embargoed: 11th September 2019 17:56
- Keywords: Tropical Storm Dorian hurricanes Donald Trump Federal Emergency Management Agency Hurricane Maria Wanda Vazquez
- Location: PLAYA HUCARES, PUERTO RICO AND INTERNET
- City: PLAYA HUCARES, PUERTO RICO AND INTERNET
- Country: Puerto Rico
- Topics: Disaster/Accidents,Wind/Hurricane/Typhoons/Tornadoes
- Reuters ID: LVA001AU4W7YF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Local residents made last minute preparations on Wednesday (August 28) as Tropical Storm Dorian churned toward the weather-weary island of Puerto Rico.
Several people were screwing boards and metal siding over windows as the local government trimmed trees.
Some residents repeated variations of "we have to protect ourselves" as they recalled Hurricane Maria, which devastated parts of the island.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump on Wednesday called Puerto Rico "one of the most corrupt places on earth".
Puerto Rico is still struggling to recover from back-to-back hurricanes in 2017, which killed about 3,000 people just months after it filed for bankruptcy.
Dorian was bearing down on Puerto Rico from the southeast and was expected to become a hurricane soon as it barrels towards Florida, which it could hit as a major hurricane.
After approving an emergency declaration for Puerto Rico late on Tuesday, Trump took a swipe at the U.S. territory in a tweet on Wednesday morning.
"Puerto Rico is one of the most corrupt places on earth. Their political system is broken and their politicians are either incompetent or corrupt. Congress approved Billions of Dollars last time, more than anyplace else has ever gotten, and it is sent to Crooked Pols. No good!" Trump wrote.
Trump has a history of disputes with Puerto Rico's leaders. He was heavily criticized for a tepid response to the 2017 hurricanes that battered Puerto Rico.
The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Dorian was blowing maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph) about 25 miles southeast of the island of St. Croix on Wednesday morning.
"Dorian is forecast to be near hurricane strength when it approaches the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico," the NHC said.
Puerto Rican officials warned that the eastern part of the island should brace for particularly heavy rains. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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