Ep 15. After the Fall

Season 6 of Vice offers a number of exceptional episodes, with the 15th one named "After the Fall." This episode takes an in-depth look at the situation in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. The episode delves into the government's failure in providing the necessary resources for the citizens to rebuild their lives.

The episode opens with a harrowing account of the hurricane’s destruction. It was the worst natural disaster that Puerto Rico had ever seen, and the devastation is clear to see. We see houses destroyed, trees uprooted, and streets littered with debris. People recounting their experiences tell of terrifying moments of survival, impending danger, and moments of true darkness.

However, this is just a fraction of the story. The episode unravels the subsequent issues of the disaster. There was a lamentable absence of support from the federal government, a lack of resources to distribute to desperate citizens, and inadequate leadership from the Puerto Rican administration. With the storm cutting off all the power for months, Puerto Ricans had to cope with the devastation on their own.

The episode showcases the grim reality of the effort, or lack thereof, to restore basic necessities of life for the citizens. It reveals that clean water and food were in scandalously short supply on the island, and the overall health crisis the island had to face as a direct consequence. Medical supplies were not available, and people had to resort to sketchy means to find water, with scarcity remaining a problem even after the storm. While the storm had already caused enough misery and pain, what happened after it was almost equally horrendous.

As the episode unfolds, it raises pertinent questions about the governance in Puerto Rico and how federal government aid was provided. The show explores the reasons Puerto Rico was largely ignored and explains how the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) response was slow and inadequate. The problem was not only with federal agencies, and it was not long before the local population voiced their frustration with their elected governing officials. The notion that the Puerto Rico's plight was because of poor governance would come under a great deal of scrutiny from the journalistic team handling the story.

The episode also focuses on the issues of economic recovery. Businesses were devastated, and many people were left jobless. Away from the tourist areas of San Juan, the people of Puerto Rico struggle to take to take care of themselves as they wait on dodgy political leadership from the government. Perhaps most alarmingly, the show casts a light on how many people saw the territorial status of Puerto Rico as the root cause of its problem, which leaves a poignant question hanging about the state of Puerto Rico's prospects going forward.

In conclusion, "After the Fall" goes beyond a look at the immediate aftermath of hurricane Maria. It examines the shortcomings of government, media, and society towards disaster mitigation and relief. Even as the hurricane devastatingly exposed the vulnerabilities of Puerto Rico, it also drew awareness of the dangers of a complete lack of compassion from those on the periphery and gives insight into what to watch for in the face of future hurricanes - be they on Puerto Rico or anywhere else.