MIAMI – Dream. Rick Scott and You. Marco Rubio, along with Puerto Rico Representative Commissioner Jennifer González-Colón, in Congress asked the Biden administration to act quickly to help Puerto Rico following the devastating damage caused by Hurricane Fiona.
In a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell on Tuesday, lawmakers urged her to “make the island’s full recovery from this storm a top priority. “
“At a time when Puerto Rico is still recovering from the widespread destruction caused by Hurricane Maria, which completely devastated the island only five years ago, the heavy rains of Hurricane Fiona caused catastrophic flooding, widespread power outages, and other life-threatening effects on the island. infrastructure, ”the deputies wrote.
How can I help Puerto Rico recover from Hurricane Fiona?: mutual aid, non-profit organizations
“Many of the serious consequences of this storm are still emerging, we are writing to support an urgent assessment of the situation and the deployment of FEMA resources, personnel, and supplies,” they said. “This will reduce unnecessary delays in facilitating recovery efforts as access to critical resources begins to decline.”
Florida is home to approximately 1.2 million Puerto Ricans, who according to the latest census figures represent the second largest Hispanic group after Cubans.
Tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans temporarily moved to Florida following Hurricane Maria in 2018. Since then, most US territories have remained as the economy remains in shambles.
Hurricane Fiona brings heavy rains to PR
Fiona landed on the southwest coast of Puerto Rico as a Category 1 storm on Sunday afternoon, then landed again on the east coast of the Dominican Republic early Monday.
As of Tuesday, more than 80% of Puerto Rico was without power – more than 24 hours after the storm shut down the island’s entire electrical system. More than 100,000 homes and businesses have no running water. The Dominican Republic is still assessing the damage.
The National Weather Service warned of “catastrophic and life-threatening” flooding and mudslides across southern and eastern Puerto Rico on Tuesday, with more heavy rain expected throughout the week. Conditions were not expected to improve significantly.
President Biden has declared a state of emergency as the storm approaches the southwest corner of the island.
FEMA’s Criswell arrived on Tuesday to assess the damage and find out what other resources may be needed.
He said the agency would send “hundreds of additional personnel” to Puerto Rico in the coming days, as well as more than 1,000 personnel on the island responding to Hurricane Fiona — nearly 700 of whom are helping with recovery efforts from Hurricane Maria. with devastating force exactly five years ago.
Faster FEMA response
Criswell said in a statement that FEMA “plans to deploy staff in each of the affected communities to complement our already broad footprint.”
This stands in stark contrast to 2017, when FEMA’s response to Maria’s impact on Puerto Rico was widely criticized, leading the agency to admit faults in organization, preparation, and staffing in an internal report the following year.
The agency said it increased the number of warehouses in Puerto Rico from one to four and increased its food and water supply tenfold.
“FEMA is very well positioned for this response,” said Keith Turi, deputy director for recovery. “We’ve made a lot of progress in planning and preparedness with our partners and municipalities in Puerto Rico over the past five years.”
Advocates stress the importance of supporting local organizations and grassroots mutual aid groups that provide on-site assistance to communities in Puerto Rico. Multiple organizations provide crucial aid such as solar lights, generators, supplies and food.
To help Puerto Ricans and others in the Caribbean recover, Here is a list of some nonprofits and mutual aid funds you can support.
Sergio Bustos is the Corporate/Policy Editor for Gannett/USA Today Network in Florida. He lives in South Florida. Email: floridapolitics@gannett.com
