Arlington Resident's Cousins In Puerto Rico Lose Everything From Fiona

ARLINGTON, VA — An Arlington resident launched an online fundraiser for three cousins who lost their homes in Puerto Rico when Hurricane Fiona hit the island last weekend.

The storm dumped up to 30 inches of rain on parts of the island, causing catastrophic flooding. The homes of Socorro Rojas’s cousins were flooded by the powerful storm.

“We ask for donations to replace furniture and electric appliances for Jannette Ortiz/Russell Rodríguez, Luis A. Cruz/Tania Torres, and Lillian Luna/Michael Burgo,” Rojas wrote on the GoFundMe campaign page. “Any amount donated will make a big difference and will be greatly appreciated!”

As of Friday morning, Rojas had raised more than $4,100 for family members in Puerto Rico.

Hundreds of thousands of people across Puerto Rico were still waiting for water and power to be restored on Friday. Fiona was a category 1 hurricane when it hit. But it moved slowly across the island, and the flooding caused by the storm washed out roads, isolating some mountain communities.

When Fiona hit last weekend, Puerto Rico had not fully recovered from Hurricane Maria, which devastated the island in September 2017.

GoFundMe has launched a centralized hub of fundraisers to help the communities affected by Hurricane Fiona. And GoFundMe.org has created the Hurricane Fiona Relief Fund to enable tax-deductible donations to be distributed to verified nonprofit organizations providing effective relief to those impacted.

To learn about the fundraiser created by Socorro Rojas, visit the GoFundMe campaign page.