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After Fiona hits Puerto Rico, state fair joins landmarks to remember Hurricane Maria

A group of three adults walks out of the New York State Fairgrounds visit the Expo Center.
Scott Willis
/
WAER News
Guest at the New York State Fairgrounds visit the Expo Center.

As Puerto Rico is left reeling from Hurricane Fiona, New York state paused for a moment Tuesday night to remember another catastrophic hurricane that hit the island.

Fourteen state landmarks lit up to mark the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Maria and the thousands of lives lost. In Syracuse, the main gate of the state fairgrounds and the expo center was illuminated in red, white and blue, the colors of the Puerto Rican flag.

"As we illuminate our state landmarks tonight, we pay tribute to the thousands of lives that were tragically lost and reaffirm our commitment to supporting our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico," New York Gov. Hochul said in astatement Tuesday.

John Smith has been waking up WAER listeners for a long time as our Local Co-Host of Morning Edition with timely news and information, working alongside student Sportscasters from the Newhouse School.