P.R. A.M. - P.M.

Gary wrote:

Two months after Maria today. More than 50% of the island is still without power. Around 90% has water but it's not safe for consumption. Boiling order. What if you have an electric range?

We had an electric rage but it broke since our house was under water for hours.
We are cooking on a camping gas stove we already had for emergencies.
No electricity in our house yet and nobody working in our neighbourhood since Maria!

Gary wrote:

No power here, either but we have the generator. We run it  a couple of hours in the morning and then from like 5 PM to 10. 
We cook on propane so that's no problem.

Water came back last Tuesday but we still buy drinking water from a commercial well in the area. They have been up and running ever since a couple of days after the storm and, contrary to many others, they kept their very reasonable prices. We pay 50 cts for a gallon refill and $2 for a 5-gallon bottle refill. 

Since a couple of days at night we see streetlights down in the valley, along the road from San Lorenzo to Las Piedras. From there 'our' electricity is supposed to come so there is some hope.

Gary wrote:

It's still two steps forward, one backward. We had water for a week and then it was disconnected again. I guess something with the generator that runs the pumps. Meanwhile it's back after almost a week.
No sign of power being restored in our area.
But we're surviving OK with generator and cisterns.
Now if some work would surface things would really get better...

At least you were able to fill cisterns again when the water was on.

ReyP wrote:

At least you were able to fill cisterns again when the water was on.

Yeah, made me feel really good...

Gary wrote:

ReyP wrote:

At least you were able to fill cisterns again when the water was on.

Yeah, made me feel really good...

I am sooo glad that I will be leaving next week. I really feel you and it is frustrading.
my husband told me long time ago that he was without water and electricity 3 month after Hurricane Georg and I never thought that I could survive such a long time without electricity! I am surprised by myself lol!
Not having running water is for sure the worst part, I never thought that.
I think it is just horrible that water comes and goes and you never know when it is going to happen.
I never had the feeling of living in a third world country as often as I did in the last 2 years.
it's going backward not forward, my feeling.
Yesterday AEE showed up in our street to check who has electricity and who has not.
They didn't tell us when we will ger a new pole.....

Gary wrote:

Yeah, I was a little sarcastic but after 10 weeks I'm slowly getting tired of all this.
Something positive is that today a team from the municipality Juncos arrived with a heavy excavator. They've been working on our property and will be back tomorrow, removing trees and bamboo that have forever been in the way of a high voltage line that crosses our property.
They have been clearing under lines in our area for days. Hopefully when they're done they (AEE or contractors) will start working on the lines.

Marion Olga, I think you're right about things getting worse over the last years. The negative effects of the financial crisis are visible everywhere, be it in the electrical grid, the roads, the water system, you name it.
Maybe the cleanup after the hurricane marks a new beginning and repairs and installing new lines and poles are being done the way it's supposed to be. At least the clearing efforts of the Juncos crew are pretty good!
Still, especially with your scary experience, I understand that you're through with PR. At least in Germany you'll be in  one of the world's top three countries with the least blackouts (The Netherlands is up there, too) When I tell people here that during the 13 years I lived in Germany I didn't experience one blackout and that I don't even remember when I had one in The Netherlands they hardly believe me.

He he he!
3 years ago when I was in Germany to visit I was at my parents house when we had a thunderstorm. The light went out and I was like, wowww, now I feel like I am in Puerto Rico!
My parents found out after a while that only their house didn't have electricity and they checked everything. They found out that is was a blackout from a cable that was connected outside at the patio. So no real blackout like here lol!

I am happy people are working on trees and stuff but to be honest, why not do that before hurricane season, the whole year around! Instead they are playing Domino and wait for a blackout! I am so sick of how people work here. Especially government employees.
Everything will grow up fast and they have to maintain it. Let's see if that will happen!
Why not put the cables who are already down in the ground instead of waiting for poles??
The system with the poles in the air are so out if time!

I soo hope for all the people that stay here that things will change for the better and that no desaster will occur next year.

tonie064 wrote:

Gary, I also am so sorry that you have lost water again. that is also one of the reasons why we left, water one day and then nothing and also no power since the hurricane.  Hopefully it comes back soon,

Marion Olga, I can understand your frustration with the system there in PR,, it drove me nuts.  Everything is so bureacratic and to tell you the truth, it is like they say in Spanish "Si no tiene Padrino, no se bautiza" which means that if you have no godfather, you will not get baptized.  Basically you have to know somebody to get anything done.  We also ran into that alot when we were opening the kiosko.  So we are here in Fla. now and hopefully won't have so much hassel with  things. I have a dr.'s appt on Tuesday for 830am and hopefully will get in then not have to wait 5 hours to see a dr. Whatever you decide to do, good luck.  I will certainly go back to visit once mostly everything is back to normal but don't see myself living there again. I know that was my hubbys wish to spend the rest of his life there, but God had other plans for us. Even if it was just to be able to be closer to our kids.

Gary, I still pray every night for everyone there and that you all get power and water soon. Take care, Tonie

You nailed it.  And I don't think you will have to wait 5 hours! 😀  that is one thing thst I hated most here! In Germany you get an appointment and within latest 30 Min. you will see the Doctor!

All the best for you!

ReyP wrote:

I think PR is going thru a dificult process at the moment and the government missteps and the politiquería is killing it and will need to build credibility. But long run I think we will end up better than we where before.

I admire your optimism but to be completely honest I don't see how PR is going to end up better than before. It's not only the damage of the hurricane, there's also the mega debt for which there's no solution in sight. Because of all that many are leaving and businesses won't re-open. The economy, which already was in a bad state, is taking a huge blow and I think we haven't seen the worst yet.

Marion-Olga wrote:

Why not put the cables who are already down in the ground instead of waiting for poles??
The system with the poles in the air are so out if time!

Because the (political) will isn't there, neither is the money - it is a very costly operation. It's the same thing in many areas in the USA and many other countries.
Setting up the electrical system in a good way (cables in the ground, where they belong, using the higher voltage like we do in Europe, build modern, efficient, less poluting power plants) involves big investments.
In Europe, at least where you and I were born and raised, Marion Olga, authorities recognized that these investments would pay off on the long run run. That's why when Europe was rebuilt after WW2 the electrical system was  completely overhauled and things were done the right way.
It pays off. Storms don't wipe out the electrical grid.
Also, the European co-operation allows for fast switching of power supply when f.i. a power plant anywhere has to shut down. When there's extra need of electrical power in let's say The Netherlands and Austria has spare power available, diverting that extra capacity is a matter of a couple of mouse clicks.

Gary wrote:

Because the (political) will isn't there, neither is the money - it is a very costly operation.

It's really just the money -- no politics at all.  Burying the lines is more costly than repairing them over the life of the lines.  Yes, customers complain when power goes out, but you have little alternative, and the power company knows that.  No competition translates to poor customer service.

Well, OK, there are some "politics" here as well, but that too factors into the economics of the decision.  The power company loses money when the grid is down, so in theory it should take cost-effective measures to assure the supply of electricity to its customers.  Of course, when the power company is the government, it has no profit motive, since it can't "go broke".  Thus, no incentive to efficiency, and as noted above, no incentive to provide good customer service.

Billclin wrote:

I don't know much of the islands politics but it looks like a large number even if half the figure is right of the younger population relocating has to be a drain on the tax revenue and leave a large number of vacant property at least for now how do you guys think it will affect the economy

yea, it will be a sad situation for a long time.   Based on our friends and others we know in PR (just my anecdotal observations), many young adults are forced to flee the island in order to find a job to feed the kids and pay the rent and put the kids in school.  This is even more prevelant among the skilled and professional classes.  The elderly, poor and unskilled are forced to remain in many cases as they don't have the resources to move.   There are exceptions, of course, but the next few years are bleak for many folks on the island.

I think it's a no brainer that foreclosures will be very plentiful in the coming months.  (bottom feeders alert!)   

If you're in the real estate market, now is a good time to start shopping for the bargain of a lifetime.  Just be ready to invest plenty of time and energy into the search. 

As they say, "Cash is king &   Money talks, bull**it walks."   

Billclin wrote:

I don't know much of the islands politics but it looks like a large number even if half the figure is right of the younger population relocating has to be a drain on the tax revenue and leave a large number of vacant property at least for now how do you guys think it will affect the economy

Population has been moving to the states for many years, so far we have more Puerto Ricans in the states than in the island.
The economy pre Maria has drven many to the states.

Post maria the numbers appear much karger since a lot of people lost their homes, have no electricity and some no running water. But a good number are also temporary.

Without a job, people cant feed their family or pay rent or a mortgage. Many can not aford to repair thei homes or replace their belongings. Also Fema and other government agencies will not help a good number of those affected because they were squaters of the land. If they dont own the land they get zero help.

Sitka wrote:

Billclin wrote:

I don't know much of the islands politics but it looks like a large number even if half the figure is right of the younger population relocating has to be a drain on the tax revenue and leave a large number of vacant property at least for now how do you guys think it will affect the economy

yea, it will be a sad situation for a long time.   Based on our friends and others we know in PR (just my anecdotal observations), many young adults are forced to flee the island in order to find a job to feed the kids and pay the rent and put the kids in school.  This is even more prevelant among the skilled and professional classes.  The elderly, poor and unskilled are forced to remain in many cases as they don't have the resources to move.   There are exceptions, of course, but the next few years are bleak for many folks on the island.

I think it's a no brainer that foreclosures will be very plentiful in the coming months.  (bottom feeders alert!)   

If you're in the real estate market, now is a good time to start shopping for the bargain of a lifetime.  Just be ready to invest plenty of time and energy into the search. 

As they say, "Cash is king &   Money talks, bull**it walks."   

Very true Sitka.
As to bottom feaders, if you dont buy it they will not have a sale, it is the name of the game.

Sitka wrote:

Well...fellow bottom feeders...as they say, if the shoe fits...   I must admit, I will be keeping my eyes open for an opportunity if I see one once we return to the island.

For now, I'm stuck in the deep freeze here in CT.  Hope to escape to PR in a month or so.

CT? I thought you were from Texas.

ReyP wrote:

Sitka, I would love for you to do a post about the pro and con of beach front properties and what if any damage were caused by the storms.

A lot of expats wear these rose color glasses and have a romantic view of getting property at the beach. You have beach front and can open their eyes.

Well OK...Rey, you are correct, there are many issues to consider when looking at beach front or near beach front property.   The list of issues mostly revolves around very high maintenance and security.

I have lived in a number of beach front, or close to waterfront properties in a few states, including Alaska, Texas gulf coast and Puerto Rico over a number of years in these various states.  Mostly, it maters little where, salt is salt and it is a relentless enemy.

Maintenance:

The effects of the salt water environment extend to not only beach front property, boat moorage, but also including near beach/waterfront property.  Salt spray and salt air will reach everything on your property, indoors and out, all  metal will be  attacked, corrorded, rusted and eventually destroyed by the unrelenting effects of salt corrosion.     

When building in the salt water environment, all construction should be done with non rustable materials.  Stainless steel hardware, fasteners, screws, bolts etc are necessary.  Aluminum is not suitable, it will corrode rapidly ( e.g. I put up a simple clothes line on the beach house, it had aluminum pulleys for the line -  they were shot in 6 months, switched to plastic).

The salt will attack the exterior of the house including the roof, paint, walls, doors, windows, etc.   The interior is also under attack, all appliances, ac units, electronics, fixtures, hardware, hinges, latches, lighting, tools, etc will be rusted.  We have friends who got new stainless steel kitchen appliances (not on the beach, off/near beach) and they said they had rust starting within six months of installation.   We recently bought a couple new kitchen appliances, went for black enamel as it may resist/not show rust as quickly.  Requires monthly waxing to retard rusting.  Your car will rust out too.

My house is cement, but it still takes a toll.

Bottom line  - sooner or later the salt will win.  Learn to love wood and plastic whenever possible.

Security / Weather

If you are on the beach, you are exposed.  The beach is public access - if you want security, you will need some sort of physical closure/ fence / barrier to secure your property.  Home security systems, boots on the ground housekeeper, smith & wesson.

The beach exposes you to all storms, wind, surf, high tides, erosion, or other weather related problems.  Be prepared for a cat 5 hurricane.

Because of the public beach exposure, we had a few issues with local junkies, drunks and bums on the beach - gave em the bums rush,  now we have a local presence and no problems.  Nevertheless, consider the potential problems.  Most folks are very nice and helpful.  Get to know the cops.

Yes, I got a hammock under the coconut palms with a Corona - love it - but it is a 
PIA to maintain.  Good luck!