By sharing his account of the disaster, which claimed 51 lives<\/a>, San Miguel hopes his old 溏心vlog免费B站 friends \u2014 who knew him as rock-and-roll drummer \u201cPaco\u201d when he was a graduate student at the College of Business Administration<\/a> from 1988-1990 \u2014 will be moved to aid the recovery of his native island. Excerpts from accounts San Miguel previously published<\/a> and more recent impressions offered in emails, are excerpted here.<\/p>\n \u201cThe desperation and misery among our United States citizens in Puerto Rico is tragic. People on every square inch of this island have either lost their homes entirely or have had them damaged. There are so many stories \u2026 so many tears, so much hurt.\u00a0It has tattooed my soul.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n San Miguel\u2019s family, while unhurt, was not unscathed. His wife Sofia temporarily lost her job as a diabetes educator and expects to remain at least partially unemployed for weeks and months, he said. His son Sebastian also lost his job and has relocated to Florida for work before attending graduate school in physical therapy. Daughter Isabella, a college student, is in Portugal for a semester abroad, he said.<\/p>\n San Miguel, an environmentalist with a love for the outdoors and animals, wrote of the storm\u2019s heartbreaking destruction of flora and fauna, which news reports sometimes overlook.<\/p>\n \u201cOur beautiful Puerto Rican landscape of September 19, with its dazzling array of green shades highlighted by glorious colors of tropical flowers, was transformed to waves of brown on September 20.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cMosquitoes are on the rise \u2026 I foresee a need for mosquito repellent and mosquito nets. Puerto Rico just went through extremely harsh Zika and Chikungunya virus nightmares. Four strains of dengue have always been present, and the situation will be aggravated this season with doctors\u2019 offices destroyed or lacking power and many hospitals struggling to reopen and serve their communities.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n But in the midst of loss and hardship, San Miguel shared a positive message, too.<\/p>\n \u201cManmade technology was no match for the forces of nature. In some ways \u2026 this experience is a blessing in disguise. No longer able to use their smartphones, faces that previously would be looking down are looking up, sharing stories, finding ways to make one another smile and laugh and make the best out of a collective tragedy. There is no digital substitute for a friendly face, an outreached hand, a warm embrace, or a shared tear. Certainly, this has been a reality check \u2014 I was prisoner of that thing, that cell phone.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n San Miguel said the importance of personal contact hit home when he visited clients soon after the hurricane, not to conduct business, but to help them recover and rebuild.<\/p>\n \u201cOur clients were astonishingly appreciative of seeing us and thankful like never before. Now we repeat that our service is 50 percent personal relations, 50 percent pest control. That I learned at 溏心vlog免费B站.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n For those on the Kingston campus who want to help, the Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies will present Peace for Puerto Rico<\/a> Nov. 16 to benefit relief efforts. The event includes an open mic coffeehouse and ping pong tournament.<\/p>\n And with so many charities involved in disaster relief, San Miguel suggested organizations for anyone able to give. However, individuals should do their own vetting before donating to any charity:<\/p>\n Connect Relief: http:\/\/connectrelief.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n Americares: secure.americares.org\u00a0<\/u><\/p>\n World Vision: worldvision.org<\/a>\u00a0<\/u><\/p>\n Hispanic Federation: www1.nyc.gov\/site\/fund\/donate<\/a><\/p>\n Cruz Roja Americana:\u00a0redcross.org<\/a><\/p>\n For animal lovers:\u00a0https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/adlapr\/<\/u><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news-draft\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2021\/05\/Maria3-1.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news-draft\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2021\/05\/Maria2.jpg\")
<\/a>\u201cPrior to Maria, Puerto Rico was an island that, sadly, was accustomed to witnessing thousands of stray dogs roaming the streets\u2026Today, not a stray animal is to be found. Their stark absence is a chilling, daily reminder of the death and destruction afflicted upon animal life on the island. The forgotten dogs do touch deep in my heart. It is tough to imagine how the stray dogs died during the hurricane winds and floods, and what they suffered.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news-draft\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2021\/05\/Maria1.jpg\")
<\/a>And as owner of the pest control company Termite Master Caribe, San Miguel worries that mosquito-borne diseases will proliferate as flooding and water stored for daily use create ideal breeding conditions.<\/p>\n