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Iowans Helping in Natural Disaster Recovery

Army National Guard photo by Sgt. José Ahiram Díaz-Ramos
A Puerto Rico Army National Guardsman looks after a child carrying water in Orocovis, Puerto Rico, Sept. 29, 2017, while helping supply food and water to the community in Hurricane Maria’s aftermath. ";

Nearly two weeks after Hurricane Maria crippled Puerto Rico, residents of the U.S. territory are still scrambling for all the staples of living – food, water, fuel, medicine, and currency.

First, Puerto Rico got clipped by Hurricane Irma, a huge Category 5 storm whose eye passed just north of the island in early September. That storm left 1 million people without power on Puerto Rico. By the time Maria hit nearly two weeks ago, tens of thousands were still without electricity, and many people on the island haven’t had power for three weeks.

On this River to River segment, Ben Kieffer talks with two Iowans working to help bring supplies to Hurricane survivors in Puerto Rico, as well as those impacted by Hurricane Harvey and Irma.

Ben Kieffer is the host of IPR's River to River