Convoy of Hope Responds to Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico

SPRINGFIELD, MO — SEPTEMBER 19, 2022 — Convoy of Hope is responding to Hurricane Fiona after it made landfall in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. As a Category 1 hurricane, Fiona made landfall along the extreme southwestern coast of Puerto Rico at 3:20 p.m. EST Sunday with winds of 85 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Convoy of Hope team members in Puerto Rico are safe following the storm and are now working on the best ways to get relief supplies to survivors. Communication is difficult amid power outages caused by severe winds. High winds toppled power lines across the island, knocking out power for more than 1.4 million people.

The dramatic and dangerous storm surge caused record flooding of the Guanajibo River. The river rose 17 feet in 12 hours, with banks overflowing at 22 feet and rising up to 29 feet.

Convoy of Hope will continue to respond to this disaster, offering food, water and other essential relief supplies to survivors. You can follow Convoy’s response at convoy.org/fiona. 

Hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico almost exactly five years after Hurricane Maria hit, devastating much of the island. Some areas still bear the scars of that high-end Category 4 hurricane, which hit Puerto Rico in September of 2017. Maria caused an estimated 2,982 fatalities and $90 billion in damage.

About Convoy of Hope

Convoy of Hope is a faith-based organization with a driving passion to feed the world. With a long history as an early responder in times of natural disasters, Convoy of Hope has been a Four Star Charity as recognized by Charity Navigator every year since 2002. Convoy of Hope has served more than 200 million people since it was founded in 1994. For more information, please visit convoyofhope.org.