ORLANDO, Fla. — Rep. Darren Soto (D-9th District) invited Jessica Carillo, a Puerto Rico earthquake evacuee, to be his guest for the State of the Union address on Tuesday, February 4. 

Carillo ,37, remained in Guanica, Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, but she said the earthquakes left her home too dangerous. Homes, hospitals, roads, schools, and other structures collapsed around her. 

“When you feel that sound and that shaking and that running all over your house, you can only think, ‘Esto no puede para?’ This can’t stop?'” she recalled. 

She fled with only her and her mother's birth certificates and social security cards and less than a week's worth of clothes. 

Carillo now stays in Winter Haven. 

The Hispanic Federation reports there are more than 150 earthquake evacuees in Soto's district. 

Soto said her story of survival and perserverance can help inspire his colleagues to help. 

“It’s more than statistics, it's stories of tragedies, sacrifices and overcoming great odds," the Congressman said. "Like in Orlando when we had Hurricane Irma or before than in 2004 when we had four hurricanes, or like what we saw (after Hurricane) Katrina in Louisiana, or like we saw in Hurricane Harvey in Houston, these are Americans that need our help like we’ve done before.”

The U.S. House of Representatives will vote on a $4.67 billion relief package for Puerto Rico. 

  • $6.75 million for technical assistance to conduct earthquake risk analysis, enhance long-term energy planning, improve energy sector situational awareness, and strengthen cybersecurity of critical infrastructure
  • $15 million for technical assistance to enhance real-time situational awareness and continued recovery support of the electric grid
  • $100 million to meet the educational needs of individuals affected by recent disasters and emergencies
  • $1.25 billion for repairs to road systems damaged by recent disasters and emergencies
  • $3.26 billion in Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery funds for disaster relief, long-term recovery, restoration of infrastructure and housing, economic revitalization, and mitigation
  • $40 million for disaster nutrition assistance in Puerto Rico

Soto also called for the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development and FEMA to work together to provide the earthquake evacuees in Florida with transitional or affordable housing.