Hurricane Maria Disaster Response
OE-0019 - October 2017 - SAF 2 - Caribbean - USA - Puerto Rico

Hurricane Maria is regarded as being the worst natural disaster on record to affect Dominica and Puerto Rico. The tenth-most intense Atlantic hurricane on record and the most intense tropical cyclone worldwide of 2017, Maria was the thirteenth named storm, eighth consecutive hurricane, fourth major hurricane, second Category 5 hurricane, and the deadliest storm of the hyperactive 2017 Atlantic hurricane season. At its peak, the hurricane caused catastrophic damage and numerous fatalities across the northeastern Caribbean, compounding recovery efforts in the areas of the Leeward Islands already struck by Hurricane Irma. Maria was the third consecutive major hurricane to threaten the Leeward Islands in two weeks, after Irma had made landfall in several of the islands two weeks prior and Hurricane Jose passed dangerously close shortly afterward, bringing tropical storm force winds to Barbuda (Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Maria). In this mission, an OpEndev team leader was deployed on a special airborne disaster response relief flight on a Gulfstream Jet with Jet 911 partners to San Juan, Puerto Rico to deliver 4,000 pounds of supplies to a religious community in San Juan for distribution. The mission was conducted over a 12-hour period, launching from KTEB Teterboro Airport in New Jersey direct to San Juan. Overwatch was provided by OpEndev and Wings Of Michael S.A.R. Mission Controllers.