Hurricane Maria: How to Help Loved Ones in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands

If you have friends, family, or other loved ones in Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, or other hurricane-affected areas, you can help ensure they stay safe by sending them health and safety information. This toolkit offers different messages in both English and Spanish you can send via text message, email, or social media. Even if you do not personally know anyone in the affected areas, you can still help spread these important messages.
Post on social media
Post these messages on Twitter or Facebook and tag your friends and family in Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, or other areas affected by hurricanes this year. You can also follow CDC on our social media channels and share or retweet our health and safety messages.
Take care of yourself
Make sure you are tending to your own mental and physical wellbeing. If you need counseling support, you can reach out to the SAMHSA Distress Hotline at:
- US Residents: Call 1-800-985-5990 (Deaf/hearing impaired can use your preferred relay service to call 1-800-985-5990) or text TalkWithUs to 66746. Spanish speakers in the US can call 1-800-985-5990 or text HÁBLANOS to 66746.
- Spanish speakers in Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands: Call or Text Háblanos to 1-212-461-4635.
Helpful Links
- Hurricane and Other Tropical Storms
- Hurricane Maria
- Natural Disasters and Severe Weather- Educational Materials by Language
- Natural Disasters and Severe Weather- Educational Materials by Topic
- Flood Safety Tips
- PSAs for Disasters
- Disaster American Sign Language (ASL) Videos
- Fact Sheet: Clean Up Safely After a Disaster
- Page last reviewed: October 6, 2017
- Page last updated: October 12, 2017
- Content source:
- National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH); Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR); Office of Noncommunicable Diseases, Injury, and Environmental Health (ONDIEH); National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP); National Center for Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD)