ORLANDO, Fla. — Orange County Public Schools says 138 students from Puerto Rico have registered for school in the county after fleeing earthquake damage on the island.

Meadow Woods Elementary School has welcomed many families from Puerto Rico before. After Hurricane Maria, they welcomed 60 new Puerto Rican students to their school.

Because of the ongoing earthquakes there, the school is planning to welcome more.

“It’s very important to be there for them,” said Meadow Woods Kindergarten teacher Belitza Torres.

She says it’s crucial for students and their families escaping earthquake damage to be supported.

“They’re very sad, and they need that love,” Torres said.

She knows what they’re going through firsthand. Her home was severely damaged in the recent earthquakes on the island.

Torres’ husband and daughter were inside the home when it happened.

She says with the seemingly non-stop tremors there — it’s unlike any other natural disaster.

“It’s not like a hurricane. You feel like the ground is going to open,” Torres said.

Meadow Woods Elementary school principal Aleli Vazquez says trauma from the earthquakes can keep students from learning in the classroom.

“Their brain is thinking about, “Is my mommy safe out there? Is something going to happen to my family while I’m at school? There’s going be an earthquake here. Is something going to fall on me?’” Vazquez said.

According to Orange County Public Schools, the district is expecting many more students fleeing from the earthquake devastation in Puerto Rico.

Vazquez said she and Orange County Public Schools stand ready to help those displaced students and their families in any way they can.

Officials plan to connect the student and their family with therapists and counselors to help them overcome their trauma so they can focus on getting their education.

“That won’t happen unless they feel emotionally stable, and safe,” Vazquez said.

These students and their families often have to stay with relatives and friends, meaning they can qualify for assistance through the district’s Mckinney-Vento program for homeless students.

During Hurricane Maria, the district saw an influx of more than 3,000 students.