After Hurricane Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico last Wednesday as a Category 4 storm, the devastated island is experiencing massive power and cell service losses tht authorities say could take months to restore.
Now, Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of the mega-hit musical Hamilton and the son of Puerto Rican parents, is raising funds for the US territory, marshaling the support of other singers and celebrities of Puerto Rican descent.
Emailing and texting every famous Puerto Rican singer I know and several I don't. Y'know, like ya do in a crisis https://t.co/2dceTt8Ycc
Follow up: I woke up to a ton of YES from your heroes in my inbox this morning. Such unity. So proud. Stay tuned.… https://t.co/49pjCuajMV
Miranda has been sharing stories of the disaster since it struck on the heels of Hurricane Irma, including one that described "not one electric pole standing, no traffic lights, cars upside down, flooding, landslides, houses and apartment buildings without roofs, windows; large debris everywhere, people walking like zombies, not a single tree with leaves on them, just sticks."
In the same tweet, the Pulitzer Prize-winner quoted founding father Alexander Hamilton's description of a hurricane that swept through his hometown island of St. Croix in 1772, with force "sufficient to strike astonishment into angels."
"sufficient to strike astonishment into angels..." https://t.co/pxx7qvHPdf https://t.co/kjlva6zj5m
Fans of the composer-librettist-actor reacted warmly on Twitter.
@Lin_Manuel so excited + so ready. juntos somos más fuertes.
@Lin_Manuel 🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷
Miranda also encouraged individuals to donate to the Hispanic Federation, a nonprofit organization supporting Latino families and institutions.
@Lin_Manuel Hispanic Federation offices this morning:
Puerto Rican singer Jennifer Lopez and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo have been working to form partnerships to increase aid and relief to the territories in the aftermath. Lopez has personally donated $1 million.
BuzzFeed News has reached out to Miranda.
Here are ways you can help in the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria.