LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — Mirna Cerradas, founder of Hispanic Connections in Lexington, has been working to reach family members in Venezuela following a series of deadly earthquakes that have left many dead and others missing.
"When I got online and saw all this information, my heart broke," Cerradas said.
As the death toll continues to rise and many remain missing, Cerradas said the disaster has been difficult to process from afar.
"In Venezuela we are not used to these earthquakes, to these catastrophes, to these things," Cerradas said.
Hispanic Connections serves as a resource hub for the Hispanic and Latino community in Lexington. Cerradas has been in contact with several family members affected by the earthquakes.
Her nephew, Jose Eduardo Serrada, a pilot, was on his way back to Venezuela from Europe when the quake struck. He is now safe in Colombia.
Serrada said his flight had originally been scheduled to land at the time the earthquake hit.
"God saved us because we had planned, when we planned the flight, to arrive yesterday at 6 in the afternoon, exactly at the time of the earthquake, and that airport was on fire," Serrada said.
He said the scale of the destruction has been hard to comprehend.
"There are people who have worked all their lives, and, and last night they had a house, a place to sleep, and today they have nothing," Serrada said.
Cerradas' sister-in-law, Berenice Gonzalez, was visiting Venezuela and was out when the earthquake struck.
"You don't prepare for something like this. My daughter didn't either. My daughter was very nervous, holding on to everything, seeing how the floor was moving, and we were moving with the floor," Gonzalez said.
Cerradas said Hispanic Connections plans to take action to support those affected.
"Hispanic Connections is going to be a direct connection with a company or organization in Venezuela to help them immediately," Cerradas said.
