HURRICANE ZONE HEADLINE MISSION: WATER 30 XYLEM WATERMARK HURRICANE ZONE RECOVERY WORK IN PROGRESS REBUILDING in the Wake of Maria VolunteerPerspectivesfromPuertoRico On September 20th, 2017, Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico. During the strongest storm the island had seen in 85 years, 155 miles per hour winds brought total devastation to the 3.4 million residents of the Caribbean island.Within a matter of hours, their power was cut, their land flooded, and their homes and livelihoods destroyed. Following the hurricane, volunteer teams from around the world worked alongside Puerto Rican communities – together battling stifling heat and humidity to clear roads, reopen schools, restore basic amenities, and rebuild homes. This is one team’s story... Nick Hill, Executive Chairman, Planet Water Foundation When you’re looking at communities to help, you’re thinking about how the project will help people down the line. It’s got to be a sustainable platform.