Displaced Puerto Rican families calling on Florida legislature to provide disaster relief, reconstruction funds

March 20, 2019

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) -- More than 100 families have been left homeless after relocating from Puerto Rico. They left the island following Hurricane Maria, only to be hit again by Hurricane Michael in Panama City Beach.

Now, they're calling for Florida's legislature to provide disaster relief and reconstruction funds.

Dozens of people ventured from Panama City Beach to the Capitol Building in Tallahassee on Wednesday, looking to raise $70,000. That would provide at least $2,500 per family.

Linda Perez with Boricuas De Corazon argued that the state's Sadowski Trust Fund, and a rumored $49 million dollars that come along with it, have not reached the families.

One Panama City Beach resident, who has a family of five, says this has been a perilous journey.

"Everything was moving forward, then we got hit by Hurricane Michael, and we lost everything," Jorge Del Valle said. "I could only save my uniform from work, some clothes for the kids and my wife. We lost everything."

Non-profit organizations like Boricuas De Corazon have set up GoFundMe accounts to help the families in the short term.

For families that have already traveled so far, from Puerto Rico to Florida with nothing but the clothes on their back, the road to recovery is still ongoing.