Survivors in Puerto Rico and Florida and their loved ones in Lakeville, Connecticut have felt the lasting impacts of hurricanes Fiona and Ian.

On September 18, Hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico, dropping over 30 inches of rain in some areas. While many residents in the region were rescued by the National Guard, CNN reported up to 25 deaths confirmed as of September 30, with countless more injured.

More than 90,000 people experienced electricity shortages and hundreds struggled to obtain drinking water in the days following the storm. Experts estimate that Puerto Rico faces billions of dollars of damages as a result of the storm. President Biden traveled to Puerto Rico on October 3, meeting with victims and signing a $60-million bill dedicated to rebuilding local communities.

Striking Florida on September 28, Hurricane Ian killed over 100 people and stranded thousands more. Rain levels surpassed 12 inches in some areas and flooding displaced over 40,000 people whose homes and properties were destroyed in the storm.

Many members of our community have family in areas impacted by the storm. Zach Lewis’ ’24 family evacuated from his hometown of Davie, Florida. The storm devastated many buildings in his county, and friends and acquaintances in nearby communities suffered terrible losses. Lewis told The Record about a small business owner living in Matlacha near Fort Myers whose family evacuated safely to North Carolina before the storm struck, but returned to find their entire town under water and their shop completely destroyed.

Lewis urges the school community to help with the restoration of local infrastructure and houses. He said, “We should all do our best to help the people of Florida. This can simply be reaching out to local organizations that take donations for the areas struck by the storm. People there are in desperate need of material supplies and financial assistance to rebuild their communities.”

The growing unpredictability of global weather conditions highlight the impact climate change imposes on our daily lives. Co-head of Students for Environmental Action, Cecily Smith ’23, said, “Effects of climate change are disproportionately more apparent in places like Puerto Rico, and Hurricane Fiona should serve as a reminder that the entire world needs climate action now.”