Linda Horta has planned to retire from Greenfield Community College on Nov. 2, after nearly 30 years at the school.
She and her husband even bought a winter home in July. They purchased the fixer-upper as a way to be closer to their son and his family. But their son lives in Fajardo in the northeast corner of Puerto Rico, which has been pummeled by Hurricane Maria.
The storm this week has cut off communication with the island, and Horta went days without hearing from her son until the family managed to get to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan and use wireless internet to send a comforting email and text.
“He said they are ‘all good,’” Horta, who lives in Northfield, said on Friday afternoon. She said her son, Antonio, daughter-in-law, Corrina Steward, 3-year-old granddaughter and 1-year-old grandson moved to Puerto Rico, a United States commonwealth of more than 3 million people, in February.
“I know that their condo that they’re renting is very solid. They are living … on a hill, so it’s not in danger of being flooded itself,” Horta said, adding that she is more concerned about increases of violent crime and other aftereffects of a devastating storm.
According to The Associated Press, there had been at least 27 reported deaths in the Caribbean as of Friday afternoon. There had been 15 deaths in Dominica, six in Puerto Rico, three in Haiti, two in Guadeloupe and one in the Dominican Republic.
Horta, who works at GCC as the assistant to the dean of engineering, math, nursing and science, said she had been considering contacting the American Red Cross to ask if their employees or volunteers could find information on the family. She said Antonio cares for the children and Corrina works from home as a personal life coach.
She said Fajardo had been “grazed by Irma,” referring to the bruising hurricane that swept through the Caribbean and part of the United States a couple of weeks ago.
But Horta is one of the lucky ones, as others still thirst for answers about their kin.
Florence resident Cindy Rivera’s parents immigrated from Puerto Rico and as of Friday afternoon she hadn’t heard from their families.
“My mom has been trying to call, but the calling’s not working,” Rivera said. Her mother lives in Northampton and her father lives in Springfield. “I’m going by ‘No news is good news.’ Until we hear word, we’re hopeful.”
Rivera said her mother’s family is from Yauco on the southwestern part of the island, and her dad’s family resides in Ponce. She said it is not comforting to see photos of mass destruction on social media and news websites.
“I hope everyone just keeps Puerto Rico in their prayers,” she said.
According to the Miami Herald, anyone unable to contact a love one in Puerto Rico following the hurricane can contact the island’s disaster relief team at maria1@prfaa.pr.gov.
Franklin County Sheriff Chris Donelan said the Big Y parking lot in Greenfield will be the site of a nonperishable food item collection from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday. Big Y is teaming up with Donelan and National Correctional Employees Union Local 106 — the corrections officers union at Franklin County House of Correction — for the food drive. All items collected will be brought to organizations shipping goods south and donations will be handed over to organizations with direct contact to distribution centers directly helping hurricane victims.
“We have two states and the territory of Puerto Rico that have experienced devastation from hurricanes,” Donelan said in a statement, “we all need to help them in any way we can.”
Officer Ryan Spofford, vice president of Local 106, said he and his colleagues are ready to lend their support to this effort.
“Our membership is excited about the opportunity to partner with Big Y and the sheriff to bring relief to the victims of these three hurricanes,” he said. “Right now many people need the basics to survive, water, canned foods, diapers, baby formula, flashlights. We will have lists of the most needed items for shoppers on those two days.”