Cover Page Legal HistorySports SearchYauco mayor meets with resident commissioner to advance river dredgingThe San Juan Daily StarJan 201 min readYauco Mayor Ángel Luis Torres Ortiz (Facebook via Comentarista Yaucano)By The Star Staff Yauco Mayor Ángel Luis “Luigi” Torres Ortiz met with Resident Commissioner Pablo Hernández Rivera in Washington on Saturday to discuss the need to expedite the partial dredging of the Río Yauco “At the same time we dealt with our [part of the] commitment and dedicated reconstruction equipment,” the mayor said “In the meeting we discussed the partial dredging of the Río Yauco already submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency under the responsibility of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources,” Torres Ortiz said “The project is fundamental for the security and well-being of yaucanos.” © 2025 The San Juan Daily Star - Puerto Rico equipment upgradesThe San Juan Daily StarFeb 271 min readBy The Star Staff Yauco Mayor Ángel Luis “Luigi” Torres Ortiz said Tuesday that as part of his commitment to his governing program he will be improving the economic and work conditions of the southern coastal municipality’s paramedics an official with the municipal Public Safety Administration the chief of Municipal Medical Emergencies provided high-quality 5.11 tactical uniforms to the paramedics new vehicles and Type 3 units [authorized for the administration of medicine] and high-technology equipment,” he said “We have to remember that our paramedics play a fundamental role in our pre-hospital attention responding immediately to medical emergencies and disasters,” Torres Ortiz added at times they face very challenging work conditions In Yauco today we are giving them labor justice.” This work, YAUCO, Puerto Rico, by SSgt Angel Oquendo, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright Sartorius has opened a 21,500 square-foot cell culture media manufacturing plant at its existing Yauco The expansion of Sartorius’ cell culture media capacity in Puerto Rico helps the firm focus specifically on customers in the Americas region operations began in spring 2023 and will be ramped up throughout the year Cell culture media are used to feed cells in the manufacture of   therapeutic proteins and various other modalities “The new cell culture media production in Yauco is part of our global capacity expansion program and is an important building block in the Sartorius manufacturing network,” said René Fáber member of the Executive Board and Head of the Bioprocess Solutions division at Sartorius “It will further strengthen our comprehensive portfolio for customers it underlines our commitment to Puerto Rico as well as the local team and reinforces the site’s significance in our efforts to assist customers in developing and manufacturing biopharmaceutical drugs faster and more efficiently.” Sartorius selected Yauco to be the firm’s first manufacturing site outside of Germany and manufacturing started in 1983 the company has used Yauco to produce filters and sterile single-use (SU) bags The firm began expanding its Yauco production and distribution center in 2016 and said it has invested more than $100 million into the site Sartorius has more than 1,200 employees at its Yauco site Journalist covering global biopharmaceutical manufacturing and processing news and host of the Voices of Biotech podcast I am currently living and working in London but I grew up in Lincolnshire (UK) and studied in Newcastle (UK) Got a story? Feel free to email me at [email protected] CSL Seqirus signs pandemic preparedness plan with European Commission Ins & Outs: Biopharma players shuffle c-suite ranks American made: Companies continue to emphasize US manufacturing Transforming Protein Production: Lonza’s Comprehensive Solutions for Therapeutic Innovation Registered in England & Wales with number 01835199 We have the address for the funeral home & the family on file If you're not happy with your card we'll send a replacement or refund your money Carmen Maria Ramos was born November 24, 1958, in Yauco, Puerto Rico to the late Felicita Albino and the late Pedro Caraballo. After a seven-year battle with Lewy Body Dementia, at the age of 64, Carmen was called home with her Lord Jesus Christ... View Obituary & Service Information The family of Carmen Maria Ramos created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories You can reach us 24/7/365 at (302) 731-5459 Copyright © 2025 Strano & Feeley Family Funeral Home and Crematory Windmar Yauco-Guayanilla Solar PV Park is a 20MW solar PV power project The project is currently in permitting stage the project is expected to get commissioned in 2022 The project is being developed and currently owned by Windmar Renewable Energy Windmar Yauco-Guayanilla Solar PV Park is a ground-mounted solar project The project is expected to generate 38,544MWh of electricity Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis The power generated from the project will be sold to Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority under a power purchase agreement for a period of 20 years All power projects included in this report are drawn from GlobalData’s Power Intelligence Center The information regarding the project parameters is sourced through secondary information sources such as electric utilities government planning reports and publications Wherever needed the information is further validated through primary from various stakeholders across the power value chain and professionals from leading players within the power sector Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Sartorius has started up its expanded manufacturing operations in Yauco after an investment of more than US$100 million the German company has substantially extended its plant in Yauco more than doubling production capacity of membrane filters and single-use bags for biopharmaceutical manufacture This is the first time that Sartorius has created substantial capacity outside its headquarters in Göttingen Germany for the manufacturing of filter membrane more than 500 people work at Sartorius in Yauco The 190 000 sq m Yauco site is designed for further long-term growth and Sartorius will be able to at least double its manufacturing capacity as needed Sartorius has been manufacturing filters in Yauco since 1982 The US market is primarily supplied from the Yauco site this expansion is an important investment for us,” said Sartorius executive board chairman and CEO Joachim Kreuzburg “The considerably higher production capacities created as a result now give us leeway to deliver an even wider product array directly from the region to our American customers and to implement our ambitious growth plans in the Americas.” “Puerto Rico stands out as offering a business‑friendly environment and a favourable investment climate Yet what is even more important for us is that for more than 35 years we have had a team of capable and reliable staff in place who ensure excellent product quality and delivery deadline compliance,” added Kreuzburg Free access to this content is for qualifying individuals only Corporate and institutional access requires an appropriate license or subscription For more information contact institutions@markallengroup.com SearchYauco mayor commits to cycling in his municipalityThe San Juan Daily StarAug 26 the “Ciclovía,” an exclusive and secure lane for the daily use of hundreds of cycling enthusiasts was inaugurated on Boulevard Rubén Ramírez Muñiz in Yauco.By The Star Staff more and more cyclists arrive in Yauco to participate in cycling in the southern coastal town and its green mountains said Mayor Ángel Luis “Luigi” Torres Ortiz the “Ciclovía” was inaugurated on Boulevard Rubén Ramírez Muñiz an exclusive and secure lane for the daily use of hundreds of cycling enthusiasts the importance of physical activity,” the mayor said sports is one of the most important banners so we look to support and strengthen it through diverse disciplines.” Torres Ortiz thanked the Office of the First Lady (Arline Roig) and all of the town’s recreation and sports personnel for “the love with which they work on each one of the projects that later see the light of day for the benefit of yaucanos.” “the immense commitment of our governmental agencies and the municipal agencies with a project like this.” safety and inclusion in our Municipality of Yauco,” the mayor said to be vigilant so that people share the public thoroughfares responsibly.” It’s unusual for solar microgrids to spark tears of happiness But that’s what happened in a small mountain community in Puerto Rico Even before Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico the community of La Montana — located in the mountains within the town of Yauco — didn’t have grid power because of its remote location and rough terrain And after the region was hit by an earthquake the local residents lost their well so were left without power and water residents once a week drove a water truck down the mountain to Yauco filled up water tanks and drove back uphill to La Montana executive director of the nonprofit organization Por los Nuestros which is based in Puerto Rico and focuses on renewable energy and health on the island The truck delivered water to each household Por los Nuestros worked to drill a new well in the community and install a solar microgrid to pump water from the well to the households “Residents cried when they first saw the water from the well,” said Rodríguez Hernández “They had been using bottled water for cooking Por los Nuestros has installed solar microgrids to pump water from new wells in 25 communities located in the mountains batteries – most from Blue Planet Energy – and diesel backup generators but many smaller communities — each with 10 to 200 households — are higher in the mountains these smaller communities often don’t receive water from the government’s main utility They need to drill wells to gain access to water and they need power to pump water out of the wells to households many communities have wells but no grid power although some are powered by diesel generators supplied by the government Por los Nuestros began deploying the solar microgrids with diesel backup with 75 kWh of batteries and 40-kW backup generators The solar microgrids can isolate from the grid the batteries are needed because clouds form daily in the afternoon backup diesel generators would be used more often The nonprofit organization acquired the microgrid equipment with funding from its donors — US-based Direct Relief Por los Nuestros received $2.3 million in funding Por los Nuestros also participated in a project that involved Blue Planet Energy Microsoft Airband and New Sun Road in the rural communities of Caguas  The partners upgraded the existing solar water pumping stations and created microgrids with battery storage The goal was to provide uninterrupted access to essential services “It’s not just that you need to improve service and electricity and water to these communities but they have to function through strong shocks,” said Jalel Sager The internet access also boosts educational and business opportunities for residents of the communities the residents also implemented a water conservation program They now have more than enough water and want to create an ice company to sell ice to the community Join us at Microgrid 2022: Microgrids as Climate Heroes for a special discussion: “What Remote Microgrids Can Teach Us All About the Future of Energy,” one of two dozen lively panels and discussions at the two-day event Rodríguez Hernández is working to teach local people about the benefits of clean water and renewable energy Por los Nuestros is now looking for a $1.5 million grant for eight new projects that would serve 1,600 families Part of the work will involve helping residents understand the importance of maintaining the solar microgrids and wells His organization provides internet and maintenance for the first year the communities are in charge of maintenance The nonprofit offers to provide trained engineers for about $70 per month given that the solar microgrids save the bigger communities $600 to $700 per month in energy costs An environmental chemist who began the microgrid projects working as a volunteer while studying for his Ph.D. Rodriguez Hernández next wants to teach kids about the benefits of renewable energy “We can change future generations by teaching them that solar and renewables are the future,” Rodriguez Hernández said Local kids got to see firsthand the benefits of the solar microgrids when there was a power outage about two weeks ago that left many towns and communities without power for two or three days But with the solar microgrids powering the water pumps “People didn’t have water before when there was a power outage Now they can see they don’t have power but can use the water That puts in context the importance of having renewable energy for these kids,” he said Even though Rodríguez Hernández works long hours often responding to calls about power outages late at night from many communities at once he said he’s not the hero in these small communities “When Hurricane Maria hit and knocked down poles the people were putting up the electric poles themselves It’s amazing that they have this kind of empowerment.” Track news about microgrids by subscribing to the free Microgrid Knowledge Newsletter I focus on the West Coast and Midwest. Email me at [email protected] I’ve been writing about energy for more than 20 years I’m also a former stringer for the Platts/McGraw-Hill energy publications I began my career covering energy and environment for The Cape Cod Times I’ve received numerous writing awards from national including Pacific Northwest Writers Association I first became interested in energy as a student at Wesleyan University where I helped design and build a solar house Linkedin: LisaEllenCohn Facebook: Energy Efficiency Markets Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Puerto Rico — Nydia Camacho’s ankles are swollen and puffy after days of sleeping in a compact car with her two teenagers The single mother can’t return to her rented home because it shakes The one she owns is a roofless jumble of wood and tin uninhabitable since the hurricanes ravaged it her hours as a private security guard have been suspended because the public school she protects is closed The bridges that usually get her to work or neighboring towns Traffic has moved to dangerous single-lane roads through banana plantations and poorly paved paths peppered by falling rocks from the near-constant temblors the bridges — all victims of the slow trickle of more than $20 billion in promised federal funding intended to aid the reconstruction of lives here in Puerto Rico Residents have been waiting since September 2017 for their government in Washington to send relief then upending and now tormenting as hundreds of earthquakes have been rattling the southern coast deepening the destitution and fear that the help may never come I might have something to return to now,” Camacho said “Do you know what it is to have so many people like me who can’t move on All we need is a little push to get going.” The temblors in recent days have caused an estimated $110 million in damage with more than 700 homes affected and nearly 8,000 people forced to sleep outside in camps who has complained about wasteful spending on the island signed a major disaster declaration Thursday — more than five days after Puerto Rico’s government made the request for more federal help Hurricane Maria’s emergency declaration came the same day the tempest swept the island two years ago Congress has since approved a total of $44 billion for recovery from Maria between the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Housing and Urban Development About $8 billion of that money was used for immediate emergency recovery via agencies such as the U.S Health and Human Services medical brigades in the storm’s aftermath $16 billion is slated for the island via FEMA which has obligated about $7 billion for recovery and mitigation projects so far HUD has about $20 billion set aside for Puerto Rico the island’s residents have had access to just $1.5 billion of it While the crumbled infrastructure and crushed buildings are the obvious signs of what has happened here it is the people of Puerto Rico — most of them U.S citizens — who display the suffering as a result of the delayed and deferred disaster dollars Their anger and dismay spills over regularly as residents called for an islandwide strike to protest the discovery of a Ponce warehouse full of unused disaster supplies including bottled water Many of the items were expired and date to Hurricane Maria Wanda Vázquez Garced quickly fired Puerto Rico’s emergency management director It is yet another example of the deep mistrust many Puerto Ricans have for government of all levels The billions of dollars of hurricane recovery money that would have helped municipal governments reinforce bridges roads and public buildings are trapped in bureaucratic wormholes complicated by funding conditions that have not been imposed on any other U.S Block grants that would have allowed Hurricane Maria’s most impoverished survivors to relocate rebuild or repair their homes sit in the U.S “Natural phenomena don’t have to become disasters,” said Jose Caraballo-Cueto an economist and professor at the University of Puerto Rico they become disasters because of the decisions and actions of a few human beings.” the federal coordinating officer who came to Puerto Rico about four months ago said the Federal Emergency Management Agency is responding to the disasters at a decent pace noting that he expects to make funds available for 300 projects this month “There’s a lot of people looking backward I’m going forward,” Amparo said “Some people talk about bureaucracies I talk about processes that must be followed It’s an assurance that funding is being used the way it should be.” The Trump administration said Thursday that it will loosen holds on some of the money but will require new restrictions on Puerto Rico’s use of federal funds because of concerns about corruption and financial mismanagement on the bankrupt island though Puerto Ricans often point out that the most high-profile public corruption case here involved federal employees — two FEMA officials who were charged with fraud and bribery surrounding $1.8 billion in contracts to restore Puerto Rico’s power grid Local officials fear the new regulations will mean more delays “There is no one more interested in seeing the money used correctly than everyday Puerto Ricans,” said Miguel Soto-Class president of Puerto Rico’s Center for a New Economy “We kicked out a governor because of it.” the governor said Puerto Rico will comply with all the federal government’s rules on disaster funding: “We will demonstrate that we are going to do things the right way.” Yauco Mayor Angel Torres Ortiz races around his town of about 30,000 in a golf cart meeting with his team in a trailer in the parking lot of a sports coliseum and people have been stopping him on the street I have a major problem,” says one man who spotted him at a community center where people were serving food to the displaced “Someone needs to put up caution tape around my house It’s not safe in there and someone is going to get hurt.” Torres Ortiz takes note and heads to a bridge to meet an engineer with an update on demolition Jersey walls block motorists from crossing the span which runs over a highway and connects the Cambalache barrio to the center of town slated for repair after the 2017 hurricane season along with about 158 other projects the municipality submitted for funding Yauco leaders said fewer than a dozen of these types of reconstruction projects have been guaranteed money “It’s incredibly frustrating,” Torres Ortiz said It makes us all wonder whether this really is simply discrimination?” where a large percentage of the island’s electricity is produced the main government building can’t be used and bridges are on the verge of collapse Though projects to fix them have preliminary approval repair work has not begun because the money has not been guaranteed who manages the municipality’s public works portfolio also suffered some of the greatest damage in this month’s earthquakes because of its proximity to the epicenter “There are mechanisms for FEMA and the federal government to accelerate projects,” said Jirau who along with other municipal leaders is advocating for the funds to go directly to local governments “We are ready to work … but we don’t have the resources.” Puerto Rico has been in financial ruin for years cities like Yauco — which is facing a $10 million budget deficit and debts of up to $40 million — cannot start a project until they know the money has been placed in an escrow account If the Trump administration is worried about state-level corruption it could appoint a federal monitor to work with mayors to speed things up “Puerto Ricans have spilled blood for the American flag in the same way as any citizen of the 50 states,” the mayor said but he can’t punish the population for the decisions of the leaders of the past … They are punishing the island at large for the actions of a few.” Accessing FEMA’s public assistance funds can be an arduous process and policy experts say the island’s government has struggled to build the capacity and technical expertise to carry out site inspections audit cost estimates and review designs needed for approval of public infrastructure projects The government has the added complication of working under an austerity program mandated by an appointed fiscal management board which Trump empowered Thursday with more oversight authority over federal funds said his department has had to make adjustments but is scaling up its operation and has accelerated project approval since his arrival six months ago He said he is confident large disbursements will begin in earnest in the next fiscal quarter but he worries that additional oversight could get in the way “The stigma for putting more controls creates more bureaucracy,” said Chavez who is head of the Central Office Recovery “We need an expedited way of getting the funds.” Congress also set aside $2 billion for repairs to the fragile power grid but the Puerto Rico government and power utility company do not have access to it “We don’t really know where the bottleneck is,” said Sergio Marxuach who has been tracking federal funding for Puerto Rico’s energy sector for the Center for a New Economy While Hurricane Maria destroyed the transmission and distribution lines of Puerto Rico’s electric power system the earthquakes exposed vulnerabilities in power generation shutting down facilities along the southern coast that provide for the entire island But it is the held-up HUD funding — $20 billion — that triggers acute outrage in Puerto Rico because a large chunk of that money would award the island’s lowest-income families grants of up to $60,000 for home repairs or $150,000 to rebuild or relocate everything is a struggle,” said Becky Casiano Roman who lives with her mother in a rotting house on the border between Yauco and Guayanilla that sustained water damage during Hurricane Maria We can hope for help but don’t expect it anymore.” HUD was supposed to make $8.3 billion in disaster mitigation funds available months ago but officials failed to meet deadlines for issuing rules on how Puerto Rico can use the money The agency’s inspector general told congressional staffers last year that HUD hampered their investigation into the handling of disaster aid The Puerto Rico government has encountered its own set of administrative troubles Critics say it has been slow in drawing down from the available funds and rolling out its programs The government faced challenges navigating HUD’s regulations and developing structures that fit the island’s idiosyncrasies; it has had particular difficulty dealing with the fact that many people here lack land titles or proof of ownership There have also been questions about the transparency of contracting The bulk of the federal money Puerto Rico has spent went to firms based on the U.S Puerto Rico Housing Secretary Fernando Gil-Enseñat said it has taken longer than expected to launch the programs for homeowners He said part of the challenge has been the grant agreements that outline the rules for disbursements which have increased from six pages to more than 100 “We know we are under the microscope,” Gil-Enseñat said Puerto Rico has some of the highest child poverty food insecurity and unemployment rates in the United States Though jobs have disappeared and programs such as food stamps and Medicaid have been slashed many Puerto Ricans still have had their homes and land — until now When the government advertised applications had opened in September for its new housing program after more than two years of delays “I just want a roof over my head and for us to have our own house,” said Camacho whose great uncle gave her the land where the remains of her house are but that property is the only thing I have.” Hundreds of homeowners submitted paperwork and most did not have home insurance or their insurers never paid Some of the same homes that were waiting on Hurricane Maria money also have been compromised by the earthquakes lives with her daughter in their devastated home pieces of shredded blue tarp poking out from underneath the corrugated tin that makes up the roof The grandmother did not qualify for FEMA programs because she has not found the deed to the property The delayed federal money is also intended to fund programs to help families like Casiano’s obtain the paperwork to prove ownership and find a new home “This is our last hope,” Casiano said Camacho said she didn’t qualify for FEMA funds because she fled her wooden home in Barina barrio a few days before Maria hit amid fears that it would not hold up to the storm She tried another loan program but didn’t meet its eligibility requirements but Camacho’s $12,000 annual salary couldn’t get her a loan Camacho believes she has exhausted all her options She scraped together enough cash to rent a home in Guayanilla for her family of three the earthquakes began and the front seat of her car became her bed so far about 12 percent were declared “pre-eligible,” according to municipal records “So few of us have a secure roof over our heads,” Camacho said “I wonder if the president could put himself in our shoes.” Stay secure and make sure you have the best reading experience possible by upgrading your browser SearchHighways authority announces suppliers of fast charging stationsThe San Juan Daily StarOct 22 20242 min readElectric vehicle charging stations will be built at: 684 Street Corujo Industrial Zone in Bayamón; Montehiedra Outlets in San Juan; Yauco Plaza in Yauco; Premium Outlet Blvd Ponce; and Aguadilla Mall in Aguadilla.By The Star Staff After an exhaustive evaluation and selection process the Highways and Transportation Authority (ACT by its initials in Spanish) announced the award to four companies as qualified suppliers for the project to build six fast charging stations for electric vehicles (EV) under the National Infrastructure for Electric Vehicles (NEVI) program was carried out through a request for proposals (RFP) The companies selected to develop the stations are: Transporte Sonnell LLC They will be responsible for building charging stations on 684 Street in Bayamón; Montehiedra Outlets in San Juan; Yauco Plaza in Yauco; Premium Outlet Blvd The new stations will be equipped with at least four 150-kilowatt (kW) direct current fast chargers capable of simultaneously charging four vehicles The charging infrastructure will have a minimum capacity of 600kW meeting established standards to ensure efficient and accessible service for all users “The implementation of these fast charging stations aims to encourage the use of electric vehicles on the island providing an accessible and reliable charging network that allows drivers to travel with confidence,” said Dr “This effort is aligned with federal plans to develop a more sustainable transportation infrastructure and promote the adoption of clean technologies throughout the island.” The program is part of the Biden-Harris administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Act and has $7.5 billion available for the implementation of electric vehicle infrastructure in the United States and its territories national electric vehicle network to develop fast-charging infrastructure along an alternative fuel corridor that is reliable The ACT is currently in the process of formalizing contracts with the selected companies Construction is expected to begin in the coming months once the corresponding environmental assessments are completed The goal is for the fast-charging stations to be operational within a period of four to 15 months depending on the location and specific requirements of each project ACT is working on planning a new RFP to expand charging infrastructure in other corridors on the island The next RFP is scheduled to be published by the end of November The quake was followed by a series of strong aftershocks, part of a 10-day series of temblors spawned by the grinding of tectonic plates along three faults beneath southern Puerto Rico. Seismologists say it’s impossible to predict when the quakes will stop or whether they will get stronger. The 6.4-magnitude quake cut power to the island as power plants shut down to protect themselves. Authorities said two plants suffered light damage and they expected power to be restored later Tuesday. Puerto Rico’s main airport was operating normally, using generator power. “I’ve never been so scared in my life,” said Nelson Rivera, a 70-year-old resident who fled his home in the city of Ponce, near the epicenter of the quake. “I didn’t think we would get out. I said: ‘We’ll be buried here.’” Puerto Rico’s governor, Wanda Vásquez, declared a state of emergency and activated the territory’s National Guard. She said some 300,000 households remained without running water by late Tuesday afternoon, and several hundred people were in shelters in affected municipalities. She said she had not spoken to President Trump by late morning. Teacher Rey González told the Associated Press that his uncle was killed when a wall collapsed on him at the home they shared in Ponce. He said 73-year-old Nelson Martínez was disabled and that he and his father cared for him. Eight people were injured in Ponce, Mayor Mayita Meléndez told WAPA television. Hundreds of people sat in the streets of the city, some cooking food on barbecue grills, afraid to return home for fear of structural damage and aftershocks. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake hit at 4:24 a.m. just south of the island at a shallow depth of six miles. It initially gave the magnitude as 6.6 but later adjusted it. At 7:18 a.m., a magnitude-6.0 aftershock hit the same area. People reported strong shaking and staff at a local radio station said live on air that they were leaving their building. A tsunami alert was issued for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands after the initial quake, then canceled. Trump was briefed on the earthquakes in Puerto Rico in the past month, including the one on Tuesday, said Judd Deere, White House deputy press secretary. “Administration officials, including FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor, have been in touch with the Governor and her team today, and we will continue to monitor the effects and coordinate with Puerto Rico officials,” Deere said in a statement. In the historic district of Ponce, authorities evacuated more than 150 people from two buildings they said were in danger of collapsing. Among them were more than two dozen elderly patients from a nursing home who sat in their wheelchairs in silence as the earth continued to tremble. Amir Señeriz leaned against the cracked wall of his Freemason Lodge in Ponce and wailed. The roof of the 1915 building was partially collapsed and dust and debris lay around him. Outside, he had already carefully placed 10 large historic paintings. The earth continued trembling as he went back into the building to recover more artifacts. Helping him was artist Nelson Figueroa, 44, who said he slept in his street clothes. “It was chaos,” he said, adding that there was a traffic jam in his coastal neighborhood as terrified people fled. Much of the damage was reported in the southwest coastal town of Guayanilla, where the mayor said the municipality won’t have power for at least two weeks. A 19th-century church in Guayanilla partially collapsed. Ruth Caravallo, 73, held on to the church’s wrought-iron gate as she cried. “My sister was the secretary here,” she said. “My husband died two months ago, and I held services for him here.” Around the corner, Father Melvin Díaz spoke to a friend on the phone and described damage to the church’s icons. “The Virgin fell, Saint Judas is intact,” he said, chuckling. Díaz surveyed the collapsed church and said he was optimistic about rebuilding. “This isn’t a problem, it’s a challenge,” he said. Some people rode their bicycles around the public plaza while others sought shade under lush trees that shook occasionally as the aftershocks continued. In one corner of the plaza, 74-year-old Alvin Rivera paused as he scrutinized the damage around him. “It’s terribly sad,” he said. “People are panicked.” A 5.8-magnitude quake that struck early Monday morning collapsed five homes in Guánica and heavily damaged dozens of others. It also caused small landslides and power outages. The quake was followed by a string of smaller temblors. The shaking collapsed a coastal rock formation that had formed a sort of rounded window, Punta Ventana, that was a popular tourist draw in Guayanilla. Residents in the south of the island have been terrified to go into their homes for fear that another quake will bring buildings down. The flurry of quakes in Puerto Rico’s southern region began the night of Dec. 28. Seismologists say that shallow quakes were occurring along three faults in Puerto Rico’s southwest region: Lajas Valley, Montalva Point and the Guayanilla Canyon, as the North American plate and the Caribbean plate squeeze Puerto Rico. One of the largest and most damaging earthquakes to hit Puerto Rico occurred in October 1918, when a magnitude 7.3 quake struck near the island’s northwest coast, unleashing a tsunami and killing 116 people. World & Nation California Hollywood Inc. Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map This 2001 photo shows Cesi Castro and his wife among the first Hispanics to settle in Cleveland just after World War II have strong business ties on the city's near West Side .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Michael O'Malley, The Plain DealerCLEVELAND, Ohio -- The family of Ariel Onil and Pedro Castro was among the first Hispanic families to settle in Cleveland emigrating from Puerto Rico just after World War II They came from Yauco a small coffee-producing mountain town where jobs were scarce then the sixth largest city in the United States they found work in steel mills and automobile plants But some members of the Castro family caught the American entrepreneurial spirit investing in rental properties and opening small businesses on the lower West Side "They are very industrious and business-minded people," said Adrian Maldonado who runs a construction consulting company and grew up in the West 25th Street and Clark Avenue area where many Castros settled so you'll always have a couple of rotten apples." He was referring to the Castro brothers -- Ariel, 52, Onil, 50 and Pedro, 54 -- who are suspects in the kidnapping and longtime imprisonment of three women inside Ariel's Seymour Avenue house According to Maldonado and former Cleveland Councilman Nelson Cintron the Castros have widespread business ties: started the first Latino record shop in Cleveland back in the late 1970s on West 25th Street near Clark Avenue had a used-car lot at West 25th Street and Sacket Avenue But the patriarch of the Castro clan is Julio "Cesi" Castro who came here in the late 1950s and opened a mom-and-pop bodega "There isn't anybody in the neighborhood who doesn't know Cesi," said Maldonado 'Hey could you lend me $50?' He always gave you money And if you needed milk or bread and were short on cash a lawyer and head of the Hispanic Roundtable echoed Maldonado's praise of Cesi Castro "He's helped more Hispanic families then the welfare department," he said "He's an extraordinary human being." According to a 1971 story in The Plain Dealer numbers' records and guns from 11 people including Cesi Castro and two other Castros One of the targets of the raid was Cesi Castro's grocery story He couldn't be reached Tuesday for comment "That was a big thing back in the day said he hopes the Castro family name isn't tarnished by the accusations against the three suspects "Cesi has got to be devastated over all this," said Feliciano To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: momalley@plaind.com Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices Portraits of pride on the "island of enchantment" by Alex Q. Arbuckle(opens in a new tab) A worker on a pineapple plantation near Manati From its first inhabitation by Taíno natives to its centuries of rule under Spain and later the United States Puerto Rico has developed a culture and character unique among the islands of the Caribbean photographers from the Farm Security Administration visited the island to document the working conditions of plantation laborers cultivating sugarcane as well as daily life both in the capital of San Juan and in remote mountain villages Photographer Jack Delano became so enamored with the people and way of life that he made Puerto Rico his permanent home A tobacco farm in the Puerto Rico Rehabilitation Administration agricultural experiment area near Cayey Farmers cultivate tobacco near Barranquitas The family of an FSA borrower near Barranquitas Members of a glee club sing during a party for FSA borrowers in Corozal Farmers' wives who live in the hills near Corozal A worker on a sugar plantation pauses for a lunch of rice Striking sugar workers at a meeting in Yabucoa The mayor of Yabucoa addresses a crowd of striking workers in the town plaza Laborers on a sugar plantation near Arecibo Laborers harvest sugarcane from a burned field near Guanica An ox cart driver in a burned sugar cane field near Guanica A worker on a sugar plantation takes a drink of water A worker unloads sugarcane at a depot in San Sebastian A woman working in a tobacco field near Barranquitas Jíbaros (traditional farmers of the mountainous interior of the island) plant tobacco in a hillside A woman who lives on land in Santurce that the FSA is buying for a land and utility housing project Alex Q. Arbuckle Kindertransport: A desperate effort to save children from the Holocaust The old-school lumberjacks who felled giant trees with axes Antique mourning jewelry contained the hair of the deceased Rosie the Riveter IRL: Meet the women who built WWII planes The streets of 1970s New York City: A decade of urban decay grief at the scene of John Lennon's murder This WWII women's dorm was the hippest spot in town Rarely seen images from the Walt Disney Archives black gold: When oil derricks loomed over California beaches Chicago in ruins: The unimaginable aftermath of the Great Fire of 1871 This week's edition of True Crime Thursday is the first two chapters of The Lost Girls by John Glatt—the chilling account of the three Cleveland women that were kidnapped and imprisoned in a basement for a decade by Ariel Castro They were held in brutal captivity—and managed to make it out alive and Gina DeJesus—three innocent young women who were kidnapped and repeatedly molested and beaten in a Cleveland home basement for over a decade by a depraved man named Ariel Castro In this up-close-and-personal account—including exclusive interviews with Castro's family members and others—veteran investigative journalist John Glatt reveals what it was like as Michelle the third child of Pedro “Nona” Castro and Lillian Rodriguez Duey is a tiny village on the outskirts of Yauco the Castro family had become the preeminent family in the isolated mountainous barrio owning most of the land in a section called La Parra Ariel was born in his father’s little wooden shack at the very top of La Parra At that time there was no running water or electricity and all the cooking was done over coal on the dirt floor Pedro would drive his jeep several miles down the steep mud track to a well to fill up large plastic water buckets He would then haul them back up the hill so that his family could wash and have fresh drinking water his father started an affair with a young girl named Gladys Torres who lived one house away down the mountain Over the next few years Pedro lived a double life “Lillian never suspected anything was wrong,” said Ariel Castro’s aunt who was married to Lillian’s brother Milfon Rodriguez just a few yards down the mountain.” Lillian finally discovered Pedro’s secret family “Lillian was pregnant with her last child when she found out he had another woman and children,” said Monserrate Pedro announced he was leaving her and the children forever moving in next door with Gladys and their children She left her four young children behind to be brought up by their grandmother “I was abandoned by my father and later by my mother,” Ariel would write The Castro children had little parental supervision as they grew up Ariel would later claim to have been sexually abused at the age of five by a nine-year-old male friend of the family Ariel would be asked by a psychiatrist why he hadn’t reported the abuse “People who are abused keep quiet,” he said He also said he had begun masturbating as a child where they lived at 435 North Second Street and Ariel was enrolled at Lauer’s Park Elementary School He would later claim that his mother physically abused him every day sticks and an open hand.” He also accused her of verbal harassment “yelling negative things and cursing at us.” “I would ask God for her to die,” he told the psychiatrist better known as “Cesi,” arrived from Cleveland bearing presents for his nephews and niece “He took Ariel a little guitar,” said Cesi’s daughter “and [we] saw music bud in him.” Little Ariel loved the guitar and soon started entertaining at Castro family gatherings Cesi Castro took a special interest in Ariel telling him he was his “special nephew” and a natural musician “[He had] the smarts,” said Cesi “There are very few people who can teach themselves how to play bass.” Pedro Castro left Puerto Rico with Gladys and their children to settle down in Cleveland Pedro had a good head for business and opened a used-car lot on Twenty-fifth Street and Sacket Avenue opening the Caribe grocery store on Twenty-fifth Street and Seymour Avenue who opened Cleveland’s first Latino record store on Twenty-fifth Street near Clark Avenue Lillian Rodriguez moved her family to Cleveland By now her ex-husband and his brothers had established themselves as successful businessmen becoming one of the leading Puerto Rican families in the city as they had been in La Parra later financing a social club and an annual coffee festival to commemorate their hometown “The Castro clan is a big clan,” explained Adrian Maldonaldo “They are very industrial- and business-minded.” the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that FBI agents had raided Cesi Castro’s Caribe bodega in a Bolita numbers’ racket sting guns and numbers’ records from eleven family members thirteen-year-old Ariel Castro started at Scranton Elementary before joining Lincoln Road West Junior High School a year later with poor test results for cognitive ability played softball and was in the school band Ariel was suspended for “touching a girl’s breast,” and punished for fighting classmates had just graduated as a straight-A student “Ariel was just a regular kid,” recalled Daniel Marti “He was smart and already into bikes and classic sports cars.” He was also drinking beer and smoking marijuana “He played the bass real good and had girlfriends Daniel’s brother Javier Marti was in the same class as Castro at Lincoln West High School “The guy was just a regular Joe,” Daniel recalled “He’s got a great family and always had nice cars and bikes.” Ariel Castro graduated from Lincoln West High School with a C average and a low grade-point average of 2.15 Over the next several years he worked a variety of menial jobs including bagger and cleaner for the Pick-N-Pay supermarket on West Sixty-fifth Street He also began establishing himself as one of Cleveland’s most promising Latin musicians bar mitzvahs and anything else he could get “It was mostly like every weekend,” he would later tell a judge “but there were times we did perform two or three times a week.” Still living at home with his mother and two brothers Ariel now had money to indulge his passions for expensive clothes Lillian Rodriguez moved the family to a new house at 1649 Buhrer Avenue just a mile down the road from where they had been living Ariel soon noticed a shy seventeen-year-old Puerto Rican girl named Nilda Figueroa who lived opposite with her parents and five siblings Whenever they passed each other on the street and the insecure girl was flattered by his attention One day he invited her to hear him play with his band and she eagerly accepted where they spent a few months before settling down in Cleveland but struggled with English and soon dropped out She found a job in a factory and dreamed of settling down and raising a family Nilda was a plain girl with low self-esteem and had few boyfriends Her one promising relationship with a young man she had hoped to marry ended shortly before Ariel Castro asked her out and after the shows he would take her for expensive meals who was close friends with Lillian Rodriguez approved of the relationship and hoped it might go further “We were seeing each other,” Ariel Castro testified in September 2005 But Nilda was enamored with the well-dressed salsa musician losing her virginity to him one night by the banks of Lake Erie “We were making out,” Castro said ‘Where were you?’ And I told her and she had a talk with me That night Nilda moved across the street into Ariel Castro’s room and would remain with him for the next fourteen years Nilda Figueroa became pregnant and Ariel Castro found them a two-bedroom apartment He was now working as a drill press operator for Lesner Products and making a name for himself in the Cleveland Latino music scene The Figueroa family liked Ariel Castro and were delighted Nilda had found somebody “He was a nice guy,” said her sister Elida Caraballo “He was real good to my sister at the beginning.” and his twenty-one-year-old father was delighted He would have Nilda bring their new baby to gigs Castro’s behavior toward Nilda began changing “He just started being too controlling I think having the child … made him feel she was his property.” who was just five feet tall and weighed 135 pounds would testify how Ariel Castro had started attacking her “It was over a small argument,” she said “He just punched me in the face and grabbed me by the head and threw me back against the concrete floor he punched me so hard that he broke my nose.” Too scared to tell anyone about the abuse Nilda began wearing a headscarf and heavy makeup to hide the severe bruising from his constant beatings Ariel Castro had also instituted a strict set of rules for Nilda to follow She was never to leave the apartment without his permission she had to wear long dowdy dresses so other men wouldn’t look at her Castro even stipulated where she could do her grocery shopping and what items to buy right down to breakfast cereals and milk brands He would constantly try to catch her out by pretending to have left the apartment “He isolated her,” said Elida “she never had any friends anymore [and] saw us less and less.” Castro even told her what television programs to watch Every night he would come home and run his hand over the back of the television Then if it was still warm he would check the TV Guide to see what shows had been on and beat her if she had watched something he disapproved of When Nilda became pregnant again in March 1982 “I was pregnant,” she recalled “and he wanted me to get up and do the dishes.” When Nilda said she had morning sickness and would clean up later “He just punched me in the mouth and knocked two of my teeth out,” she said “I had told him I was too tired to get up.” Ariel Castro was now working for the Cosmo Plastics factory the family moved into a small apartment in Nilda’s father Ismail Figueroa’s house to save money But even living under her father’s roof did not temper his violent behavior “He regularly locked her in there,” Ismail told journalist Allan Hall Nilda gave birth to a baby girl whom they named Angie But when Elida and her brother Frank arrived to see the newborn baby “He was so strict,” Frank recalled He didn’t want anyone near his daughter.” Ariel Castro’s behavior became even more extreme During one argument he shoved Nilda into a large cardboard box and closed the flaps ‘You stay there until I tell you to get out!’” said Elida “That’s when I got scared and ran downstairs to get my parents.” Ariel Castro was fired from the Cosmo Plastics factory and went on welfare using Nilda’s food stamps to buy cocaine His toddler son kept out of his father’s way as much as possible no one suspected what was going on in Ariel Castro’s house He had no real friends other than his brothers Pedro and Onil who both drank heavily and still lived with their mother he would arrive at gigs in his blue Mustang with his bass guitar and amplifier although some thought him weird and eccentric “I’ve known Ariel since he was a kid,” said Bill Perez “He was a musician at a young age and was always different.” a panama hat and sporting a flashy diamond earring Even if the band who had hired him for the night had a uniform “Ariel was weird and used to stand out,” said Perez “He could be demanding and cocky at times and always wanted to be king of the group.” Ariel Castro found a driving job for Cumba Motors and moved Nilda and their two young children into a new apartment at 9719 Denison Avenue he punched Nilda in the nose and broke it again He made her swear not to report him to the police before allowing her to go to Grace Hospital to have it set after Castro repeatedly kicked her in the ribs when she said something he didn’t like “They took an X-ray,” Nilda later said “and they found that I had my rib shattered.” Castro dislocated her shoulders by twisting her arm behind her back and throwing her around the bedroom “He felt that it was some kind of punishment that I needed,” she would explain Once he hit her over the head with a metal bar putting her in the hospital for three days She suffered a serious concussion and it took more than forty stitches to close up the wound Castro first made her promise not to call the police before allowing her to get treatment “That’s the only way he would let me into the hospital,” Nilda later explained “because he wanted me to die that day Although the doctors at Grace Hospital were aware of the abuse she suffered they were powerless to call in the police without her permission “They weren’t too happy about me going home,” she said “He came at me full force with his fist,” she later testified There’s a lot of nerve damage.” “I was nine months pregnant,” she said “He hit me over the head with a hand weight Nilda gave birth to a healthy baby girl they named Emily Lisette Over the next two years the savage beatings continued slamming her hard against the wall repeatedly she managed to escape and ran up the stairs to her neighbors Ariel Castro was then arrested and taken into custody on suspicion of assault Nilda and two of her small children were taken by ambulance to St where she was treated for a bruised right shoulder and interviewed by police A Cleveland Police Department report of the incident states that she told officers she had been Ariel Castro’s common-law wife for nine years “Victim states she was assaulted by the suspect on several other occasions,” it read “but made no official complaint.” As Nilda was still too scared to swear out a criminal complaint against Ariel Castro police had to let him go without charging him “Life with my father growing up was abusive and painful,” said Ariel who was just eight years old when he witnessed this attack controlling man and my mother was the one who bore the brunt of his attacks although I wasn’t spared either.” Many times the brave little boy attempted to protect his mother “I remember crying myself to sleep,” said Ariel “because my legs were covered in welts from belts and seeing my mom getting beat up in our home No one should ever have to see their mom crumpled up in a corner on the floor the way I did so many times.” a young salsa piano player named Tito DeJesus was at a rehearsal with his fiancée when he met Ariel Castro for the first time The bassist immediately made a lewd comment to her “He came off to me a little weird,” recalled DeJesus “My fiancée had jeans on and was sitting on a table with her legs open since you’re smiling already?’ And he didn’t mean it facially I just looked at him … who is this guy Later my fiancée explained that Ariel had always been trying to get in her pants.” as they often played in the same bands together “He was one of the best bass players in Cleveland,” said Tito “He didn’t read music all that well but he would sit down and listen to a tape or CD and practice hard and play it almost [perfectly].” Castro performed with many of the top Cleveland Latino bands including the Roberto Ocasio Latin Jazz Project But he was often argumentative and difficult at rehearsals making himself unpopular with many bandleaders “At rehearsals,” said DeJesus We don’t have to be doing this stuff.’ And the bandleader didn’t want to hear it: ‘Listen Then Castro would argue and argue and deliberately play it his way at the show “That was his nature,” said DeJesus he would try and find reasoning to tell you the sky was red giving birth on September 6 to Ariel Castro’s third daughter They were now living in an apartment on West Ninety-eighth Street and Western Avenue Castro was fired by Cumba Motors for laziness he filled out an application to become a school bus driver for the Cleveland Board of Education It asked what qualified him for the job and what his future goals were “I enjoy working with children,” he wrote I plan to drive a bus and working [sic] with young people.” he wrote he could use a calculator and adding machine and gave the names of three friends as character references stating that he had not been convicted of any crime involving “moral turpitude.” Ariel Castro was officially hired by the Cleveland School District to drive a school bus at ten dollars an hour After taking a road test and passing a physical examination he reported for training at the Ridge Road Bus Depot John Glatt is the author of Lost and Found and many other bestselling books of true crime He has more than 30 years of experience as an investigative journalist in England and America.  his best friend Billy Barringer disappeared The boys had been having a tumultuous summer in the manner of close friends growing up and realizing that they may be growing apart nothing prepared Ethan for waking up that hot July morning and finding that his best friend wasn’t… The last thing that Cam Munoz and Blair Johnson expected was for their investigative podcast into the disappearance of Clarissa Campbell to not only put them in mortal danger but also to earn them the sometimes irrational ire of numerous people Prologue Labor Day Weekend 2021 Alex Murdaugh’s world was falling apart heir to a powerful legal dynasty that had ruled South Carolina’s Lowcountry for more than a century While Three Assassins is billed as the follow up to Kotaro Isaka’s bestselling Bullet Train and has now been ably translated from the Japanese by Sam Malissa If you enjoyed Bullet Train as much as I did then you mustn’t miss this novel—and not just because of Mr… © AZBilliards.com EPPA inc. 1998-2025 All Rights Reserved. Site design by GRIN tech SAN JUAN (AP) — More than 2,000 people in shelters The aftermath of a 6.4-magnitude earthquake that killed one person injured nine others and severely damaged infrastructure in Puerto Rico's southwest coast is deepening as the island's government says it is overwhelmed Many in the affected area are comparing the situation to Hurricane Maria a Category 4 storm that hit in September 2017 as hundreds of families who are unable to return to their damaged homes wonder where they'll stay in upcoming weeks and months as hope fades of electricity being restored soon U.S. President Donald Trump declared an emergency in Puerto Rico several hours after Tuesday's quake hit a move that frees up federal funds via the U.S Federal Emergency Management Agency for things ranging from transportation to medical care to mobile generators But some local officials worry the help won't arrive soon enough He said FEMA has already pledged to bring mobile generators to bolster the company's biggest plant which is located near the island's southern coast where the quake hit and is severely damaged Hernández said it's unclear how quickly the plant can be repaired noting that a damage assessment is ongoing although some officials estimated it could take up to one year to repair Complicating efforts to restore power are strong aftershocks with more than 40 earthquakes with a 3.0-magnitude or higher occurring since Tuesday's quake personnel have to evacuate and further damage to the plant's infrastructure is feared Power company director Jose Ortiz said he expects nearly all customers to have electricity by early next week adding that extremely preliminary assessments show that at least $50 million in damage occurred transportation officials closed a portion of one of Puerto Rico's busiest highways because of what they called serious structural failures related to the quake Both directions of Highway 52 that runs from the capital of San Juan to the southern coastal city of Ponce were indefinitely closed near Ponce those aftershocks have led to a rise in the number of people seeking shelter in southwest Puerto Rico as government officials continue to inspect homes and public housing complexes secretary of Puerto Rico's Housing Department urged people to stay with family or in shelters if they felt unsafe in their homes as the government relocated more than two dozen people from damaged residences The future of hundreds of schoolchildren in the island's southwest region also is uncertain as officials delayed the start of classes that was scheduled for Thursday A three-story school in Guánica that houses nearly 450 children alone saw its first two floors flattened by the quake Education officials said teams of engineers are inspecting schools in the region and beyond and that it's too early to say when classes might start While officials say it's too early to provide an estimate of total damage they say hundreds of homes and businesses were affected by Tuesday's quake and the 5.8-magnitude one that preceded it on Monday a 47-year-old resident of the southern town of Peñuelas said her home is heavily damaged but she plans to stay there "Where else am I supposed to go?" she said When the Orange County Veterans Coalition meets at 5:30 p.m today at the Veterans Service Agency in Goshen it will be mentioned that one of its affiliates the Elite Badge of Military Merit Chapter 1782 has done an outstanding job entering names in the Purple Heart Hall of Honor The New Windsor state-of-the-art museum dedicated to the recipients of the Purple Heart is both headquarters and official meeting place of the distinguished chapter the members have served as part of the official welcoming team at the Hall of Honor on numerous occasions The chapter has a dynamic board and an enthusiastic commander in Morales who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to include Purple Heart recipients in the Hall of Honor Morales has enrolled more than 500 veterans into the Hall of Honor where he is a board member Morales' enthusiasm has engaged leaders in the Military Order of the Purple Heart — including its national commander Henry Cook — to establish the Military Order of the Purple Heart Department of the Caribbean "That was history in the making!" said a beaming Morales who moved to Brooklyn in 1954 and is a veteran of Vietnam The new department was established with ceremony through the national office headquartered in Springfield and sponsorship by Morales' chapter in Newburgh Several chapters have been formed in Puerto Rico: Chapter 660 in Aguadilla Chapter 661 in San Juan and Chapter 662 in Yauco "There are at least 4,000 Purple Heart veterans throughout the island of Puerto Rico who have fought to preserve our freedom," said Morales embedded sense of patriotism and gratitude." For information about the Newburgh chapter or the chapters in Puerto Rico call Morales at 914-474-5175 or write to him through Chapter 1782 Artists affiliated with the Wallkill River School will demonstrate their talents during a reception from 5-8 p.m It will be at the group's headquarters at 100 Ward St. The building is at the traffic light at the intersection of Route 17K and Route 211 call 457-2787 or visit the Web site at www.wallkillriverschool.com In a tradition established decades ago by members of the law enforcement community including the Orange County Sheriff's Office and members of the Orange County Shields continue to lead a holiday caravan to visit people of all ages but its official title now is Correction Officers Benevolent Association's Gift Giving Caravan The association raises money through dues and fundraisers to buy gifts the caravan composed mostly of vehicles with flashing lights slowly wound its way throughout the county stops were made at hospital pediatric wings Also on the list was a visit to the House on the Hill in Chester and Project Discovery in Port Jervis Yauco has a high level of seismic activity Based on data from the past 55 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900 there are about 4,400 quakes on average per year in or near Yauco Yauco has had at least 3 quakes above magnitude 7 since 1900 which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently probably on average approximately every 40 to 45 years The last earthquake in Yauco occurred 8 hours ago and had a magnitude of 2.9: Mag. 2.9 earthquake North Atlantic Ocean - 27 km north of Puerto Rico Island, Puerto Rico - writeAge(1746488509)A light magnitude 2.9 earthquake occurred in the North Atlantic Ocean near Puerto Rico island The quake had a moderate depth of 109 km (68 mi) and was not felt (or at least not reported so) Yauco has had 3 quakes of magnitude 3.0 or above and 21 quakes between 2.0 and 3.0 There were also 5 quakes below magnitude 2.0 which people don't normally feel The strongest earthquake in Yauco in the past 7 days had a magnitude of 3.3 and occurred 1 day 18 hours ago: Mag. 3.3 earthquake North Atlantic Ocean - San Juan, Puerto Rico - writeAge(1746364609)A light magnitude 3.3 earthquake occurred in the North Atlantic Ocean near Puerto Rico island The depth of the quake is unknown.The quake was not felt (or at least not reported so).