North Carolina Military Helping Puerto Ricans Access Clean Water, Roads

WUNC News | By Laura Pellicer,

Published October 27, 2017 at 12:35 PM EDT

It has been more than five weeks since Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico. Close to three-quarters of residents on the island are still without power. Many also still do not have access to food or safe drinking water.

Host Frank Stasio speaks with WUNC military reporter Jay Price about North Carolina's military support to Hurricane Maria relief efforts in Puerto Rico.

Washed out roads are making the process of bringing these supplies to residents even more challenging. Nearly 200 members of North Carolina's Army National Guard are working to reopen hundreds of roads and to restore access to some of the most isolated communities. Soldiers from Fort Bragg have set up water purification systems for residents and marines from Camp Lejeune are also helping with the relief effort.

Host Frank Stasio speaks with WUNC military reporter Jay Price who is on the ground in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Laura Pellicer

Laura Pellicer is a producer with The State of Things (hyperlink), a show that explores North Carolina through conversation. Laura was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, a city she considers arrestingly beautiful, if not a little dysfunctional. She worked as a researcher for CBC Montreal and also contributed to their programming as an investigative journalist, social media reporter, and special projects planner. Her work has been nominated for two Canadian RTDNA Awards. Laura loves looking into how cities work, pursuing stories about indigenous rights, and finding fresh voices to share with listeners. Laura is enamored with her new home in North Carolina—notably the lush forests, and the waves where she plans on moonlighting as a mediocre surfer.

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Frank Stasio

Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.

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