WASHINGTON – FEMA and the full force of the federal government
continue to make progress towards recovery, working hand-in-hand with U.S.
Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico officials, municipalities, businesses, and
voluntary agencies on the islands since Hurricane Irma’s landfall on Sept. 6
and Hurricane Maria’s landfall on Sept. 19.
Hurricanes Irma and Maria caused catastrophic damage across both the U.S.
Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. After enduring two Category IV hurricanes in
less than two weeks, nearly all critical infrastructure was devastated.
While very real challenges to restoring damaged infrastructure remain,
more than 19,000 federal civilian personnel and military service members are
supporting the islands, working 24 hours a day in support of the hurricane
disaster relief mission. These efforts include restoring power and potable
water, returning hospitals to operation, increasing fuel supplies, increasing
cell phone coverage, and re-opening transportation facilities.
Although it will take time for communities to recover, residents are
seeing some services being restored in their communities. FEMA, in
coordination and partnership with 36 federal departments and agencies,
remains focused on helping the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
with life-sustaining commodities and other essential services. As more
businesses open and public services are restored, quality of life will
continue to improve for many residents.
Tangible signs of recovery in the U.S. Virgin Islands include full restoration
and operation of 911 services in St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John. As of
Tuesday, some schools reopened on St. Thomas. More schools are scheduled to
reopen in St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix in the coming days.
In St. Thomas, 95 percent of roadways are passable and no major roadways
are closed. Airports are open for commercial service in St. Thomas and St.
Croix. In St. Croix, a Disaster Recovery Center opened Sunday where survivors
are receiving one-on-one support. Across the U.S. Virgin Islands, service
providers have numerous wi-fi hot spots set up to facilitate internet access
for survivors, including several new locations opening this week in St.
Croix.
In Puerto Rico, all airports and federally-maintained deep-water ports are
open to full operations or operating with restrictions, and power has been
restored to 96 percent of hospitals. Additionally, the metropolitan bus
service by Autoridad Metropolitana de Autobuses restarted.
In Puerto Rico, FEMA approved more than $53 million in federal disaster
assistance to individuals through the Individuals and Households (IHP)
program, for hurricanes Maria and Irma. This federal disaster assistance
helps eligible applicants with home repairs, under and uninsured personal
property losses and medical, dental and funeral expenses caused by the
disaster. It also helps cover other disaster-related expenses and other
needs. In addition, to date, FEMA approved more than $169 million in federal
funding for emergency work for hurricanes Maria and Irma. This includes
$54.6 million awarded to the Puerto Rico Electric and Power Authority (PREPA)
for the repair of the electrical power system.
In the U.S. Virgin Islands, FEMA has approved more than $2.5 million in
federal disaster assistance through IHP to individuals affected by hurricanes
Maria and Irma. In addition, to date, FEMA approved more than $35 million in
federal assistance for emergency protective measures, debris removal, and
repair or replacement of damaged facilities to territorial, government, and
eligible non-profit organizations, under the Public Assistance program.
Below are updates on where we are today in the efforts to support Puerto
Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in their ongoing recovery from hurricanes
Irma and Maria.
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Hospitals and Medical
Federal teams, as well as the private sector, continue supporting the
governments of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, , to restore power
and delivery of fuel to hospitals and medical centers so that essential
services to disaster survivors continue to return.
In Puerto Rico, 97 percent of hospitals* have power restored or are
operating on generator power. Four of seven regional pediatric centers
are open. The Veterans Affairs Hospital at San Juan Medical Center has
reopened and eight outpatient clinics are seeing patients. Additionally, 46
of the 48 dialysis centers are open*. All hospitals are connected to drinking
water service or receive water from water tanker trucks. The U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers (USACE) is supporting plans for intermediate-term
hospitals to meet health care needs. As part of hospital assessments,
satellite phones and portable radios are being provided to assist with
maintaining critical services and patient support.
Eleven U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) medical teams are stationed
across Puerto Rico to support local medical facilities, medical shelters and
field medical stations. These teams have cared for more than 1,600
patients. HHS teams are also working with federal and territorial
partners to make contact with elder care facilities to ensure they are also
being cared for. In partnership with Department of Defense (DoD), HHS
is working with private sector heath care systems on sustainment strategies
while electricity is being restored. Also, HHS activated the Emergency
Prescription Assistance Program to help 500,000 residents who do not have
access to health care.
The United States Naval Ship (USNS) Comfort is currently providing
additional support to hospitals by treating critical patients. The USNS
Comfort has treated more than 78 acute care patients, ranging in age from six
months to 89 years.
In the U.S. Virgin Islands, HHS and medical teams are in place supporting
medical and hospital operations. A 73-person DoD medical company established
mobile medical services at the Schneider Regional Medical Center in St.
Thomas and another medical company is setting up a full field medical layout
in St. Croix; and HHS personnel are augmenting staff at the Gen. Juan Luis
Hospital in St. Croix and the Morris F. deCastro Clinic in St. John. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) personnel are conducting health
assessments in St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas, while a Public Health
Service advisory team is in St. Thomas to provide direct support to the U.S.
Virgin Islands Department of Health.
Schools
The U.S. Department of Education and numerous federal teams are working
with Commonwealth and territory government officials to restore school
operations to provide educational services for children.
U.S. Virgin Islands schools have begun to reopen this week; seven schools
in St. Thomas opened on Oct. 10, and more schools are scheduled to reopen in
St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John in the coming days. The facilities were
cleared of debris, and will be operating on alternate power, as required.
The Puerto Rico Department of Education (PRDE) is managing 22
fixed feeding sites at schools. These locations are providing breakfast
and lunch for students and survivors seven days a week until further
notice. PRDE is working with the Department of Education and its partners to
complete assessments of schools.
Commodity Distribution
The distribution of food and water remains a top priority. FEMA, DoD and
federal partners have delivered more than 7.6 million meals
and 6.4 million liters of water to Puerto Rico, and 4.4
million meals and 2.9 million liters of water to the U.S.
Virgin Islands.
Puerto Rico established ten Regional Staging Areas around the island to
provide commodities to mayors for distribution to citizens, and the National
Guard is supporting delivery of supplies to these locations. Points of
distribution are also being established for delivering commodities directly
to the public. Supplies were dropped from airplanes to isolated communities
in remote areas and places where roads are impassable. Additionally, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture provided municipalities with hundreds of thousands
of meals at fixed facilities.
The Salvation Army, Feeding America, the American Red Cross and other
voluntary agencies continue to deliver food and water across the islands
through shelters and senior centers. Additional meals and water continue to
arrive to the islands regularly via air and sea.
Power Restoration & Generators
Across the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, Hurricane Maria destroyed
most of the power transmission lines that carry electricity from the power
plants to the power distribution centers in major population centers, as well
as the local power lines that run to residences and businesses.
Electrical power has been restored to 20 percent of customers in St. John,
20 percent of customers in St. Thomas and 10 percent of customers in St.
Croix , with 10 percent restoration* in Puerto Rico.
While progress continues to be made on both islands, federal resources
continue to provide temporary power support. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
temporary power response teams have been on the ground since before the storm
and continue to assess power needs and install generators at critical
facilities.
In Puerto Rico, unified efforts among the Department of Energy, USACE,
Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority and the private sector continue to
restore the power grid. As of Oct. 10, USACE installed 53 generators at
critical facilities in Puerto Rico, powering critical infrastructure
including hospitals and shelters, and completed 240 generator
assessments.
To date, USACE installed 53 generators in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and
completed 177 generator assessments.
Communications
In Puerto Rico, 53 percent of telecommunications service,
wired and wireless, has been restored*, and the U.S. Virgin Islands has 43
percent cell phone coverage.
As more cell towers are being revitalized around the island,
communications among disaster survivors, responders, and government
municipalities increases. Mayors have satellite phones to facilitate
communication with Puerto Rico Emergency Management Agency and the federal
government.
The private sector is helping lead the communication restoration effort,
providing portable cell trucks, known as “Cell on Wheels,” to critical
communications areas in Puerto Rico. The trucks are able to provide a
two-mile cell phone coverage range on flat terrain. As of Oct. 5,
approximately one-third of Puerto Rico’s very high frequency (VHF) radio
system is back online, allowing for communication among more than 30
municipalities.
In the U.S. Virgin Islands, wi-fi hot spots were deployed through a
partnership with industry providers to provide connectivity to the public,
and are also being used by the territorial government and responders.
Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams
Disasters Survivor Assistance (DSA) teams are on the ground performing
on-the-spot needs assessments, addressing requests for disability-related
accommodations, and assisting with referrals to partners offering additional
survivor services.
In some locations, they are accepting on-site registrations for individual
assistance financial aid. DSA teams have registered more than 3,000
survivors for assistance in the U.S. Virgin Islands; and more than 11,000 in
Puerto Rico.
*Data provided by Status.pr
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