More than 60,000 boricuas have arrived in the state of Florida from the territory of Puerto Rico following the devastating step last September 20 of Hurricane Maria on the island, the office of Governor Rick Scott said today.
According to Scott’s office, since October 3, when Maria dissipated, they have arrived through the international airports of Miami and Orlando, as well as Port Everglades (almost 30 miles north of Miami), more than 60,000 Puerto Ricans.
The state government has opened at these airports, as well as in the Port of Miami, assistance centers for families from the island who have been displaced by the effects of the hurricane, where til to date, more than 10,000 people have been cared for, according to a statement from Scott’s office.
Among those arriving in Florida in recent weeks, those assisted by charitable and humanitarian organizations such as the Red Cross, include about 7,500 who arrived on three boats operated by private companies, including the luxury cruise company Royal Caribbean.
After the passage of Hurricane Maria by Puerto Rico, which until December will most likely not see their electricity grid restored, has led to a massive exodus of residents of the island to the state of Florida, where in recent years also began to see an increasing flow of Puerto Rican immigrants.
The city of Orlando, in central Florida and home to the largest Puerto Rican community in the state, is the destination appealed to by many of those displaced by the hurricane, who seek the help of relatives, and where the largest number of new school students from outside Florida are located.
Florida schools have received more than 2,000 foreign students this year, many from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, also affected by hurricane Maria, according to state government data.
Likewise, state universities have received a large number of Puerto Rican students, who in around 40 centers have been allowed to pay fees as local students and have been exempted from many requirements for students from outside Florida.
It’s estimated that by the end of October, more than 100,000 puertoricans from the island would have fled to the continental US.
