YB Land DX Club DX-ing Is Our Life
At the end of December 2019 and in early January 2020, the southwestern part of the island of Puerto Rico was struck by a series of strong earthquakes, including six that were of magnitude 5 or greater.
The largest and most damaging of this sequence occurred on January 7 at 04:24 AST (08:24 UTC) and had a magnitude of 6.4 Mw and a maximum felt intensity of VII (Very strong) on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.
At least one person was killed and several others were injured. A 5.8 Mw earthquake the previous day caused the destruction of a natural arch, a tourist attraction at Punta Ventana in Guayanilla.
A 5.9 Mw aftershock on Saturday, January 11, damaged many structures, including several historical buildings as well as modern high-rises in the city of Ponce.
Power was lost Island-wide immediately after the quake, and was increasingly restored over a period of a week. Damage to homes was extensive and, by 14 January, more than 8,000 people were homeless and camping outdoors in various types of shelters, with 40,000 others camping outside their homes, just in the city of Ponce only. There were refugees in 28 government-sponsored refugee centers in the southern and central Puerto Rico municipalities of Yauco, Guánica, Ponce, Peñuelas, Guayanilla, Utuado, Maricao, Juana Díaz, Adjuntas, Sabana Grande, San Germán, Lajas, Jayuya and Mayagüez.
Damage to government structures was calculated in the hundreds of millions and financial losses were estimated in $3.1 billion. A power plant that supplied over a quarter of Puerto Rico’s energy needs was badly damaged was shut down, with repairs estimated to take at least a year.
The day of the main quake, January 7, Puerto Rico governor Wanda Vázquez Garced declared a state of emergency and activated the Puerto Rico National Guard and the Puerto Rico State Guard. That same day, she also made available $130 million in aid. The White House also approved $5 million in federal emergency relief. On January 12, the day after the January 11 5.9 aftershock, the governor distributed $12 million to six municipalities most affected by the quake.
The Amateur Radio Alliance club collected donations to help the victims of all earthquakes and visit the zero areas to supply those in need.
Black Hawks Radio club support the mission too. The Ham Radio Operators of Puerto Rico are in high alert for any possible disaster to help with communications and anything needed.
If you wish to help you may contact us at PO Box 1248, Sabana Grande PR 00637. We are a non-profit organization. You can also visit our webpage at https://kp4ara.org/
