A St. Thomas family survived Hurricane Irma for six days, killing chicken with a slingshot for food, until they finally paid a catamaran company to take them to safety — Puerto Rico. Here’s the story they told to CNN as they wait out their second historic storm in the Caribbean.
Jessica Mangiaracina and Bob Perkins thought they were ready for Hurricane Irma. They bought extra food and supplies for their home in St. Thomas, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, for themselves and their two children, ages 7 and 9. But then Irma hit as a Category 5 storm. “It’s like waking up in the morning and an atomic bomb went off,” Perkins said.
They had to use a chainsaw to make their way through blocked roads and flooded streets to find water and food. When food ran out, they killed chickens with a slingshot. Finally, they found a catamaran company to take them to Puerto Rico. They thought they were safe.
Now they’re stranded in the San Juan Civic Center, with 1,236 other people, trying to survive Hurricane Maria. See their story and CNN video here: http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/20/americas/hurricane-irma-survivors-face-maria/index.html
