Page 12 - AT

A12 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 28 august 2019

Puerto Rico braces for rain, power outages as Dorian nears

By DÁNICA COTO blocked by that storm's
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) landslides.
— Jorge Ortiz, a 50-year- Gov. Wanda Vázquez
old construction worker, signed an executive order
was taking no chances as on Monday declaring a
Tropical Storm Dorian ap- state of emergency and
proached Puerto Rico on urged those living under a
Tuesday and threatened tarp to stay in one of the
to brush past the island's island's 360 shelters if need-
southwest coast at near- ed. Housing Secretary Fer-
hurricane strength. nando Gil said some 9,000
Wiping sweat from his brow, to 13,000 homes with blue-
Ortiz climbed up a shaky tarp roofs are located in
ladder under the punishing the region that Dorian is ex-
morning sun and tied down pected to affect the most.
pieces of zinc that now Officials also said they
serve as his roof because would close all public
Hurricane Maria ripped the schools by Tuesday after-
second floor off his house noon.
when the Category 4 storm Jesús Laracuente, a
hit in September 2017. 52-year-old construction
He was forced to rebuild worker who lives in the im-
everything himself and Storm clouds gather as Tropical Storm Dorian moves toward St. Michael Parish, Barbados, Mon- poverished neighborhood
finished just three months day, Aug. 26, 2019. of Las Monjas in the capital
ago, and said he received Associated Press of San Juan, had his doubts
no assistance from the lo- about the government
cal or federal government. Rico, late Tuesday morning. centimeters). to Plata. preparations. Blue tarps are
"They told me I didn't qualify The U.S. National Hurricane Dorian already caused In Puerto Rico, some gro- still visible in his community,
because it was a total loss," Center said it had maxi- power outages and cery stores ran out of bot- which can flood even in
he said, shaking his head mum sustained winds near downed trees in Barbados tled water as people rushed light rainstorms.
as he added that he was 50 mph (85 kph) and was and St. Lucia, and a still- to buy supplies including "The people here are pre-
wary about Dorian. "I'm forecast to strengthen dur- uncertain long-term track generators and filled their pared. We already learned
worried that despite all this ing the next 48 hours before showed the storm near Flor- cars with gasoline. our lesson," he said, refer-
sacrifice, I'll lose it again." passing near or south of the ida over the weekend. Government officials on ring to Maria. "What de-
It's a concern shared by U.S. territory on Wednesday The Hurricane Center issued the island warned of pos- spairs us is knowing that the
many across the U.S. ter- as it moves west-northwest a hurricane watch and a sible landslides, flash flood- slightest breeze will leave us
ritory, where some 30,000 at 13 mph (20 kph). tropical storm warning for ing and power outages, without power. It's the gov-
homes still have blue tarps "The biggest problem will Puerto Rico and for the Do- with Puerto Rico's health ernment that fails us."
as roofs and where the 3.2 be the rain," said Roberto minican Republic from Isla secretary urging those with Vázquez said this time, the
million inhabitants depend García, a forecaster with Saona to Samaná and a certain health conditions island's Electric Power Au-
on a shaky power grid that the National Meteorologi- tropical storm warning for such as diabetes to be pre- thority has a vast inventory
Maria destroyed and re- cal Service in Puerto Rico. Martinique. Tropical storm pared. of equipment to cope with
mains prone to outages The storm was expected watches were in force for The island's transportation storm damage — $141 mil-
even in the slightest of rain to dump between 3 to 6 Dominica, Saba, St. Eusta- secretary acknowledged lion worth compared with
storms. inches (8 to 15 centime- tius and parts of the Do- that crews are still rebuild- $22 million during Maria.
Dorian was located about ters) of rain in the Wind- minican Republic from Isla ing roads damaged or That includes more than
415 miles (665 kilometers) ward islands, with isolated Saona to Punta Palenque blocked by Maria. He said 23,000 poles, 120,000 lights
southeast of Ponce, Puerto amounts of 10 inches (25 and from Samaná to Puer- more than 1,000 remain and 7,400 transformers.q

Inventive Cubans beat infernal heat with mobile pool

EL INFERNAL, Cuba (AP) — Martinez and Yamian Vá- the condition that it could
Children play wildly around lido on July 26, to make only be used if it wasn't
a tractor in the El Infernal their kids happy and fight needed by the agricultural
neighborhood in the prov- the harsh Caribbean heat workers.
ince of Pinar del Rio, part of in the aptly named settle- The tractor in El Infernal also
Cuba's renowned tobac- ment. In a neighborhood is occasionally pressed into
co-growing zone. far from recreation cen- service as an ambulance
The moment that everyone ters, community members in an area with few motor
is waiting for arrives as trac- helped to make the idea vehicles.
tor driver Osniel Hernandez of the tractor-pool a real- After operators explained
appears with a trailer cov- ity, lending tarps, providing some rules to the swimmers,
ered in a blue tarp, cre- water and paying for the the tractor-pool made its
ating a mobile pool that tractor's gasoline. first successful trip, as chil-
will travel through the dirt "We want to keep the kids dren splashed their neigh-

In this Aug. 24, 2019 photo, a tractor pulls a trailer that was con- streets of the neighbor- happy in our community bors to encourage them
verted into a swimming pool as it drives along the roads of El hood. and this costs nothing." said to join the party — a party
Infernal neighborhood in San Andres in the province of Pinar del The idea for the mobile Hipolito Marraron, the pres- that became the main at-
Río, Cuba. tractor-pool was hatched ident of the cooperative traction in a poor but re-
Associated Press by local parents Mariset that lent the tractor, with sourceful neighborhood.q