News

Actions

Clevelanders worry about loved ones in Puerto Rico as Hurricane Maria makes landfall

Posted at 7:41 PM, Sep 20, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-20 20:34:21-04

"I'm making one of my last phone calls. We're losing signal and we have no electricity."

It's the cryptic call Lynnet Figueroa got from one of her several family members who are sitting in the path of Hurricane Maria.

That call, along with a Facebook post from her cousin, is all she has to go on as she worries about her loved ones.

"We have no contact, we don't know what's going on," Lynnet said.

Contact between her and her family was cut off early Wednesday morning, unlike Hurricane Irma when updates came in every couple of hours.

The silence is gut-wrenching.

"How long would it be to wait to get that phone call and for them to get signal?" Lynnet said.

"Now I'm praying for life, not for property," said Rosa Torres Waldo, who also has family in the path of the storm.

Rosa is worried about her elderly sister - she is trying to survive in a home that has exposed windows.

"They were trying to play catch up, but the problem was there was no more wood available," Rosa said. 

Both Rosa and Lynnet work at the Spanish American Committee on the city's west side.

"We are giving strength to each other by talking about it," Rosa said.

They're leaning on each other during this very difficult time.

"We're being out own little family here when we have our blood family over there," Lynnet said.