Mass Exodus From Puerto Rico Feared After Hurricane and Debt Crisis
byGabe GutierrezandElizabeth Chuck
CAROLINA, Puerto Rico — Inside the steamy San
Juan airport, mothers sleep on the floor with their children. Travelers,
many of whom have been there for days, fan themselves as they wait for a
flight out.
The lines are long and there is no air
conditioning, but after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Ricans are eager to just
get out — and the island's governor fears many will not return. Related: Lawmakers Press White House to Step Up Aid to Puerto Rico
"My expectation is to rebuild stronger than
ever," Gov. Ricardo Rossello told NBC News. "But clearly if this is not
taken seriously ... Puerto Rico is going to collapse into a humanitarian
crisis."
Saddled with a ballooning debt crisis, Puerto
Rico has already seen a historic migration of about half a million
people from the island in the past 10 years. Now, following the most
powerful hurricane to hit the U.S. territory in decades, the outflow is
sure to hasten.
Puerto Rico Residents Desperately Trying to Leave the Island2:00
"People were leaving in search of better
economic opportunities. Now people are leaving because of a humanitarian
crisis," said Teresita Levy, a professor of Latin American and Latino
studies at Lehman College in the Bronx. "They’re trying to get out
because they are worried about not having enough food and supplies,
services not being restored. What happens if you have a medical
emergency and the hospital doesn’t have a generator?"
For many Puerto Ricans, there is no
alternative but to leave for the mainland: Gas is scarce, there's no
running water, and only about 5 percent of the island has had power
restored.
"If anybody was thinking of coming [to the mainland United States], they are probably now coming anyway," Levy said. Related: Puerto Ricans Plead for More Federal Aid to Devastated Island
Rossello has pleaded for more aid, and warns
of a mass exodus if his island doesn't get help from the federal
government, which is also still contending with the aftermath of
Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in the Southeast.
Puerto Rico governor: We need more help6:46
"There needs to be unprecedented relief for
Puerto Rico so that we can start the immediate effort right now with the
deployment of resources, but also the mid- to long-run recovery," he
said. "If we have that, we can avoid a humanitarian crisis in the United
States. But if we don’t have that, you will see thousands, if not
millions, of Puerto Ricans flocking to the United States."
Experts say major hurricanes often cause a mass migration, particularly among those in a higher socioeconomic status. Related: Trump to Visit Puerto Rico Next Week
Tatyana Deryugina, a professor of finance at
the University of Illinois who studies the economic impact of disasters,
tracked Hurricane Katrina evacuees for years after the Category 5 storm
ravaged New Orleans.
She said her research indicates that about a
third more people left New Orleans than would have otherwise, and only
half of them came back in the eight years after the storm.
"Obviously a big difference with Puerto Rico
is it's an island," she said. "As far as I can tell, there's no place
within Puerto Rico that’s really better, so if you want to leave,
probably you're going to just leave the island entirely."
And the type of people who leave will affect Puerto Rico's recovery efforts and its essential services, she added.
Schmidt: Trump Is 'Clearly Distracted' From Puerto Rico Crisis5:36
"I think we're going to see more advantaged
people leaving, the people who have an easier time buying airfare or a
boat ticket — which could be, unfortunately, some of the wealthier
individuals, like doctors," she said.
Brock Long, the head of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency, said he had yet to see evidence of a mass migration
in Puerto Rico, and said FEMA was treating Puerto Rico "just like any
other state."
"We need you to know that we are working our butts off to help the people of Puerto Rico," Long said on MSNBC.
For some, though, that's not enough.
Luis Romero is one of tens of thousands of
Puerto Ricans who have already fled since the hurricane hit. He and his
wife left their San Juan home for refuge near Sarasota, Florida, and
they're considering making the move permanent.
"People are not going to wait for long," he said. "They are going to start flying over here in droves."
If that happens, Rossello says, "it would devastate our revenues. It would be a brain drain, most likely."
People wait in line to get a flight at the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport on Sept. 25 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Joe Raedle / Getty Images
The experts say there are ways to negate that.
Congress could allocate money specifically for rebuilding efforts in
Puerto Rico, which would attract construction companies and developers,
said Deryugina, the finance professor.
Lawmakers could also allow a suspension of Puerto Rico's Promesa debt payments, Levy suggested, referring to the federal law that restructured the island's debt.
"It’s not people leaving that will be the
issue, but it’s really, do you have the resources you need to fix what
was damaged by the hurricane?" she said. "A year-long or longer
suspension of the Promesa debt payments would mean there is money to
invest in the infrastructure, schools, to make sure the hospitals are
maintained." Gabe Gutierrez reported from Carolina, Puerto Rico. Elizabeth Chuck reported from New York.
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