FEMA
Advisory
FEMA Supporting Puerto Rico Fiona
Response
On Wednesday, President Joseph R. Biden
approved Puerto Rico Gov. Pierluisi’s request for an expedited major
disaster declaration. The declaration now authorizes FEMA to
provide Individual Assistance to survivors in 63 municipalities, and
Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation in all 78 Puerto Rico
municipalities.
Key Highlights
- On Friday, five additional municipalities were added
to the declaration, allowing survivors in Arecibo, Barceloneta, Cabo Rojo,
Loíza and Manatí eligible to apply for federal assistance. We have teams
on the ground conducting damage assessments and using data obtained from
flyers and satellites to expedite our review. More municipalities may be
approved for Individual Assistance as assessments are completed and
adjudicated.
- Survivors who live in the 63 declared municipalities
can apply for federal assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA
(3362) or by using the FEMA App. Survivors using a relay service, such as a
video relay service, captioned telephone service or others, can give the
FEMA operator the number for that service. FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance
teams are in affected municipalities and are conducting outreach and
working to help survivors apply for assistance.
- FEMA approved Critical Needs Assistance for disaster
survivors who have immediate or critical needs because they are displaced
from their primary dwelling. Immediate or critical needs are life- saving
and life-sustaining items. This assistance is a one-time payment of $700
per household. Since Wednesday’s declaration more than 168,000 survivors
applied and FEMA has awarded $40 million as we continue to process
applications.
- FEMA is committed to making assistance available to
all eligible applicants. The agency expanded the type of documentation
needed to prove homeownership and occupancy, making it easier to apply for
assistance. These include motor vehicle registrations, documentation from
schools, federal or state benefit providers, social service organizations
or court documents. Survivors with heirship properties, mobile homes or
travel trailers who do not have the traditional documentation of ownership
verification may self-certify ownership as a last resort.
Federal and partner actions to support
areas affected by Hurricane Fiona
- FEMA and other federal agencies deployed more than
1,000 employees to Puerto Rico to support the response. This is in
addition to 700 staff who live and work on the island, and the hundreds of
trained volunteers who also deployed to assist.
- Five FEMA Incident Management Assistance Teams are
in Puerto Rico to bolster response efforts. Additionally, Mobile Emergency
Response Support, Incident Support Base, Staging Management Teams and
Mobile Communication Office Vehicle operators are on the island.
- A Water Distribution Task Force with members from
the federal and Puerto Rico government and private sector companies are
coordinating water delivery to isolated communities.
- FEMA and the Puerto Rico Department of Housing
(Vivienda) are developing a multi-agency Sheltering Transition Team plan
to include actions for sheltering and housing resources.
- The Puerto Rico Emergency Management Bureau
continues to provide support to communities and monitor commodity delivery
to communities where road access may be limited.
- The U.S. Small Business Administration is making
low-interest disaster loans available to residents, businesses and most
private nonprofit organizations in eligible Puerto Rico municipalities.
Small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, in aquaculture and most
private nonprofit organizations, may apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan to help meet working
capital needs caused by the disaster.
- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is installing
generators at critical facilities and preparing and staging additional
generators to support requests. Additional personnel are conducting damage
assessments in support of the Puerto Rico and federal response. USACE
issued $30,000 in funding to support a team of engineers to assess federal
projects and infrastructure and coastal areas for post-storm damages.
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and USACE
continue to assess drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.
- Mental health resources are available. Survivors
experiencing emotional distress can call or text the SAMHSA Disaster
Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 to connect with a trained crisis
counselor. The helpline is confidential, toll-free and multilingual crisis
support.
- The American Red Cross is working closely with the
local government to provide support. More than 200 trained Red Cross
volunteers are assessing damage, delivering emergency supplies to shelters
and have provided more than 900 households with emergency supplies.
- Non-profit organizations provided more than 125,000
meals and more than 60,000 pounds of other relief supplies to survivors.
- More than 590 Puerto Rico National Guard members are
conducting search and rescue, commodity distribution, security operations
and more. Additionally, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is supporting
the Island’s search and rescue response.
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
declared a Public Health Emergency and deployed an Incident Management
Team and Health Incident Management Team.
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and
Nutrition Service approved a waiver to allow hot foods to be purchased
with Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for one-week. Additionally, the
USDA Food & Nutrition Service approved the use of USDA foods for
congregate feeding for 2,500 for shelters.
Stay alert to continuing risks
- Be aware of areas where floodwaters have receded.
Roads may have weakened and could collapse under the weight of a car.
- Be careful when cleaning up. Wear protective
clothing, including a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, work gloves and
sturdy thick-soled shoes. Do not try to remove heavy debris by yourself.
Use an appropriate mask if cleaning mold or other debris. People with asthma and other lung conditions and/or immune suppression
should not enter buildings with indoor water leaks or mold growth that can
be seen or smelled. Children should not participate in clean up.
- Use a generator safely. Keep generators far from
your home. Never use a generator inside a home, basement, shed or garage
even if doors and windows are open as these could allow carbon monoxide to
come indoors.
- Stay safe during extreme heat. Avoid strenuous work
or exercise during the warmest part of the day. Use a buddy system when
working in extreme heat and take frequent breaks.
- Download the free FEMA App (available in English and
Spanish) to receive emergency alerts and real-time safety notifications,
emergency preparedness tips, and disaster resources. Visit Ready.gov or
Listo.gov to learn how you can keep yourself, your family, and your pets
safe.
- Download the free FEMA App (available in English and Spanish) to receive
emergency alerts and real-time safety notifications, emergency
preparedness tips, and disaster resources. Visit Ready.gov or Listo.gov to learn how you can keep yourself,
your family, and your pets safe.
Contact Us
If you have any
questions, please contact Office of External Affairs:
- Congressional Affairs at (202) 646-4500 or at FEMA-Congressional-Affairs@fema.dhs.gov
- Intergovernmental Affairs at (202) 646-3444 or at FEMA-IGA@fema.dhs.gov
- Tribal Affairs at (202) 646-3444 or at FEMA-Tribal@fema.dhs.gov
