AccuWeather staff members on Monday morning were busy sorting, packing and loading supplies that will soon be delivered to a remote town in Puerto Rico that was devastated by Hurricane Maria.
For the past week, the company-wide and community effort has seen donations of critical goods pour in at AccuWeather headquarters on Science Park Road. As part of its ‘Rays of Hope’ service initiative, AccuWeather adopted the town of Patillas, located on the southern part of Puerto Rico and one of the first places affected by Maria when it made landfall as a category 4 hurricane.
‘We of course saw this disastrous hurricane heading toward Puerto Rico and we knew it would be a catastrophe given the state of the infrastructure to begin with and the severity of the hurricane,’ said Joel Myers, AccuWeather founder, chairman and president. ‘So we knew it was going to be a humanitarian crisis and wanted to help out in some way.’
When Hurricanes Harvey and Irma hit Texas and Florida, FEMA and charitable organizations were in better position to marshal resources than they would be in Puerto Rico, Myers said. In those cases, in addition to AccuWeather meteorologists’ forecasts and warnings, Myers and his staff also calculated damage in Texas to be up to $190 billion, far more than the $8 billion that had been prognosticated elsewhere.
‘We wanted to demonstrate how bad those hurricanes would be,’ Myers said. ‘We went all out with that. That was important to show how extensive that disaster was. The same thing with Florida, not quite as much damage but still a major event. I think that helped keep some people out of harm’s way and helped the recovery effort by focusing on the magnitude of the disaster.’
AccuWeather staff member Megan Clitherow carries a box of supplies to a shipping container that will be sent to Patillas, Puerto Rico.
In Puerto Rico, AccuWeather saw an opportunity to contribute and address specific needs. The effort grew organically among staff members, who identified Patillas as one place in particular need. Patillas has no port access and has been largely cut off from relief efforts and supply shipments.
‘We knew the isolated areas would be in even more dire straits,’ Myers said. ‘We were able to identify a real need and a way to help. It just swelled within the company and I said let’s get behind it.’
Working with Patillas Mayor Norberto Soto Figueroa, AccuWeather developed list of items needed to help residents get through the crisis — from diapers to bottled water to soap to non-perishable food, to name a few. The company reached out to the local community to contribute and has been collecting donations and filling a shipping container since Oct. 16.
Megan Clitherow helps Mary Linn Tiffany unload donations.
‘It’s been just an awesome response, not only within the company – so many people volunteering and contributing – but also spreading across the community,’ Myers said.
People have been coming by regularly, sometimes making two or three trips, to deliver donations. Local businesses have provided discounts on needed items. And a fund was established through Centre Foundation to stretch the donations further.
On Wednesday, the shipping container will begin its trek to Patillas. AccuWeather has partnered with New England Motor Freight to deliver the supplies, which will be sent to San Juan then trucked across the island.
Several AccuWeather employees will make the trip to ensure the goods get where they are needed.
‘Many times in these situations there’s a lot of people that help and contribute, but not all the time does it get to the people that really need it,’ Myers said. ‘We’re determined that will not happen here. We’re going to make sure this will be distributed to the people in needed in and around Patillas and that part of Puerto Rico. That’s why we’re sending AccuWeather folks there to get this all distributed to make sure it gets to the people who are most needy and will benefit the most from these supplies.’
Donations can still be made Monday and Tuesday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at AccuWeather’s headquarters, 385 Science Park Road. A full list of items being sought can be found here.
Financial contributions can be made online through Centre Foundation here. Checks can be mailed to Centre Foundation, 1377 Ridge Master Drive, State College, PA 16801. Centre Foundation requests that donors write Rays of Hope Fund on the memo line of their checks.
