Mayor Eric Adams traveled from Puerto Rico to the Dominican Republic Sunday night, and met with local officials and relief groups Monday in the wake of Hurricane Fiona.
Adams began his Monday in the capital city of Santo Domingo, before traveling to areas of the country that were hit hardest by the hurricane.
The mayor met with Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader to “discuss recovery efforts,” City Hall tweeted.
After landing in the Dominican Republic last night, @NYCMayor met with President @luisabinader to discuss recovery efforts. pic.twitter.com/6erPqyV25r
— NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) September 26, 2022
He and members of SOMOS Community Care also distributed food, building materials and other much-needed supplies to residents affected by the storm, he said on Twitter Monday morning.
.@NYCMayor joined the @SOMOSCare team this morning to distribute food and supplies to residents in hard-hit areas of the Dominican Republic following #HurricaneFiona.
— NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) September 26, 2022
If you want to help, visit this site for organizations collecting donations: https://t.co/aqE4fRSOuL pic.twitter.com/q2Q7KG6hfp
“I worked with @SOMOSCare during the height of #COVID19 when I was Borough President in Brooklyn,” he wrote. “Now we’re together again on the ground in the Dominican Republic.”
I worked with @SOMOSCare during the height of #COVID19 when I was Borough President in Brooklyn. Now we're together again on the ground in the Dominican Republic.
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) September 26, 2022
If you want to help our brothers and sisters recover from Hurricane Fiona, visit https://t.co/knBwKOZli8. pic.twitter.com/KmLw9bJLAL
In Washington Heights, which has a large Dominican population, some residents praised the mayor for drawing attention to recovery efforts.
“I don’t know exactly what it is that Mayor Adams is doing, but just the fact that he’s out there, and shedding light to the situation, it makes a difference,” said Sam Santana, who has family in the Dominican Republic. “‘Right now, where we live now, in this era, you just got to like, see things in order for people to believe [them].”
Adams’ visit to the country came a day after he spent time surveying hurricane damage and meeting with government officials in Puerto Rico. Hurricane Fiona knocked out power to the entire island — and some of the areas the mayor visited Sunday were still without running water and electricity.
The city has launched a website with resources for New Yorkers looking to support local relief efforts.