Students help with hurricane recovery efforts in Puerto Rico

SUNY Oneonta students are making a difference in Puerto Rico this summer, assisting in recovery efforts after Hurricane Maria destroyed much of the U.S. territory's lush landscape and many homes.

A group of 11 students recently returned from a service-learning trip there with geography faculty members Justin Hartnett and Trevor Fuller.

Last September, a Category Four storm known as Hurricane Maria hit the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. With widespread flooding, power outages and hundreds of homes destroyed by the tropical storm, Puerto Rico was stripped of its lush landscape, and the widely popular tourist territory became devoid of its attractions for weeks. Unfortunately, the recovery has been moving along slowly ever since.

Eight months after the disaster, there is still an extensive need for assistance in Puerto Rico. Blue tarps serve as shelters for many residents whose homes were destroyed.

Working with NECHAMA, a volunteer-driven nonprofit headquartered in Minnesota, 11 SUNY Oneonta students cleaned, swept, hammered, painted, worked on roofs and more last week to help improve the area.