Storm Ernesto hits Puerto Rico and Bermuda
Ernesto brought heavy rainfall, flooding, and high winds to Puerto Rico, the Lesser Antilles, and the Virgin Islands before intensifying into a hurricane as it headed north towards Bermuda.
The storm made landfall on Puerto Rico with winds just 4 miles per hour short of hurricane status. Governor Pedro Pierluisi activated the National Guard amid reports of people stranded in homes and cars surrounded by floodwaters. Hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses were left without power after Ernesto wreaked havoc on Puerto Rico’s fragile electrical infrastructure. Eighty shelters were opened to support displaced families. WCK’s #ChefsForPuertoRico prepared sandwiches as Ernesto made landfall and began to distribute them in impacted communities as soon as it was safe to do so.
The storm then made direct landfall on Bermuda as a Category 1 Hurricane, bringing strong winds and a dangerous storm surge. At the height of the storm, more than 70% of residents were without electricity. WCK was able to reach out to Chef Corps members and restaurant partners we worked with after Hurricane Fiona in 2022 to start cooking as soon as possible. Those teams helped distribute meals to local churches and impacted neighborhoods.
Chefs For Puerto Rico
Island of Culebra
WCK’s team in Puerto Rico arrived on the island of Culebra the day after Tropical Storm Ernesto made landfall. While assessing needs, we delivered food to a family who’s roof was destroyed by the storm.
Supporting seniors in eastern Puerto Rico
One of our first stops after the storm passed was at a home for seniors in eastern Puerto Rico where we also provided support following Hurricane María. Our team met with Violeta, who manages the home and provided sandwiches and water for the residents left without electricity by the storm. Nearby, we stopped at a second housing complex that houses about 90 seniors who also lost utilities. The meals we provided were the first many people had eaten in more than a day.
#ChefsForPuertoRico
What started as preparing meals from a friend’s restaurant five years ago shortly after José and arrived in San Juan, turned into mobilizing a network of chefs and more than 20,000 volunteers uniting under the #ChefsForPuertoRico banner to feed the island in a time of unprecedented need. Since then, this team has supported fellow Puerto Ricans following, hurricanes, an earthquake, and the Covid-19 pandemic.
News from the ground
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WCK’s team in Puerto Rico arrived on the island of Culebra the day after Tropical Storm Ernesto made landfall. While assessing needs, we delivered food to a family who’s roof was destroyed by the storm. This week, we are providing dozens of meals daily to people on the island who remain without electricity.
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WCK teams engage closely with communities while assessing needs following a disaster. In Vieques—one of the two small islands east of Puerto Rico—residents informed us that the roof of a neighbor’s house was destroyed by Tropical Storm Ernesto. We immediately headed over with sandwiches, fruit, and water for the family.
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WCK’s Yareli is on Culebra, one of the two small islands east of Puerto Rico that were hit by Tropical Storm Ernesto. Many residents are without utilities so our team will be providing water and food as we assess needs. Yareli joined our #ChefsForPuertoRico team in 2017 when she jumped to action to cook for neighbors impacted by Hurricane María.