Local man with ties to Puerto Rico

As we continue to watch Hurricane Maria’s impact out in the Atlantic, one local man is fearing for his family that lives in Puerto Rico. News 25’s Taylor Rubach caught up with him and tells us how his family is making out during the storm.
“It’s frightening. My wife, I can see it in her eyes, she’s talked to her sisters. They were scared.” Ivan Vega and his wife Marla are watching Hurricane Maria’s track nonstop, fearing for their family in Puerto Rico. Just Wednesday morning, Maria hit Puerto Rico as a strong category four storm with 260 mile per hour winds.
Although horrific images of destruction and misery are coming out of the U.S. territory, Vega was lucky enough to already hear good news from his family in San Juan. “I haven’t been able to contact anyone because right now the news is showing that hundred percent power is off in Puerto Rico. My daughter went ahead and was lucky enough to contact one of my nephews in San Juan. They’re doing fine. No power. No water, but as far as damage they’re doing fine.”
Vega worked with the Hurricane Hunters from 1976 to 1981 while in the Air Force and knows the steps toward recovery after a hurricane, but now he and his wife are left feeling useless watching their homeland as it’s pounded with rain. “We’re all suffering inside because there’s nothing we can do. If I could go ahead and catch one of these hurricane planes I use to work on and go out there and try to help, I would. But you know, right now, it’s moving away and this is where the work starts.”
For now, all Vega can do is cling to his faith. “Hopefully, we’re keeping our fingers crossed and continuing with our prayers that everybody is safe and no loss of life of course.”