Thousands of people came to Connecticut from Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria hit the island, and, there's a large part of the Puerto Rican community that was here before the storm. They still have family back at home and are concerned about what Tropical Storm Dorian could mean for them.
“I’m worried about it, you know, I have family there,” said Enrique Martinez from New Britain.
“It’s really hard for us right now to think that something like that could happen to us again,” Armando Gonzalez from Hartford said.
No matter how far, Puerto Ricans in Connecticut feel their hearts are on the island as it braces itself for high winds and flooding.
It's a chilling forecast for families that lost so much after Hurricane Maria nearly two years ago.
“The hurricane was something that was really devastating,” Gonzalez said.
“It affected everybody. Everybody. And they’re still going through it right now. A lot of people hasn't recovered yet from the hurricane,” added Martinez.
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Despite the fear of what could happen this week, many today said Puerto Ricans are more prepared this time around.
“I’m in contact with my family, and I think that we've been preparing since Maria because that was a big lesson for us,” said Idalia Rodriquez who is from Guayanilla, Puerto Rico. She still lives there, and happens to be visiting her sister in Connecticut this week, but wishes she were home.
“I have my things there and my family is all there. Whenever these things happen we're united,” Rodriguez said.
An estimated 10,000 people came to Connecticut in 2017, and over 400 families stayed.
“We are here but our hearts are there,” said Sheila Rivera who moved to Hartford after Maria. “It's very hard.”
Rivera remembers that hurricane like it was yesterday. She describes being locked up inside for 16 hours with her family as it passed.
“The winds were so strong,” said Rivera, “So there we were, inside with family. Praying.”
Maria left Sheila with broken windows, water damage, and no power for months. And the storm's aftermath shut down her kids’ school for six months, which led her to move to Connecticut.
“Leaving family behind is really hard,” she said. “I hope they don't run out water and that power isn't out for too long.”
As Rivera’s happy and healthy kids start the new school year Tuesday, she prays her family back home on the island stays safe in whatever may come tomorrow.
“Maria was something we didn't expect. Even though the newscasts said it was going to be hard,” Sheila said. “I think what we went through during Maria is what has led people to prepare more this time around.”
