FEMA destines $108M+ for 182 recovery projects in Puerto Rico
The Federal Emergency Management Agency and Puerto Rico’s Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resilience, or COR3, announced the approval of more than $108 million for 182 projects across the island.
Several municipalities will benefit, including Aguas Buenas, Culebra and Aibonito, with grant approvals for 153 permanent work projects that were awarded June 19-25, the agencies confirmed.
The obligations include more than $3.1 million in funding for five permanent work projects in Aguas Buenas, which include roads and a municipal park.
The City Hall building will be repaired by replacing its air conditioning units and a waterproofing treatment on the roof.
Aguas Buenas Mayor Javier García-Pérez said the allocation will bring benefits to the municipality’s nearly 30,000 residents.
On the other hand, three projects were approved for the municipality of Culebra for a total of about $1.9 million.
The Municipal Government Center, where residents go to request a variety of services, will be repaired with an allocation of $830,000. Similarly, residents who travel daily on the streets of the La Perla Sector, William Font Street and the Las Delicias community will benefit from an obligation of nearly $220,000 to pave these roads.
In addition, several streets in the Flamenco, Pueblo, Frailes, and Playa Sardinas II neighborhoods will be repaired with more than $871,000 in federal funds.
“Mitigation is also very important because, many times, the municipalities do not have funds available to make the improvements that became necessary after hurricanes Irma and María,” said Culebra Mayor Iván Solís-Bermúdez.
Meanwhile, about 30 families in the Jagüeyes sector in Aibonito will have safe access to their homes with the approval of more than $402,000 to repave road PR-162.
“In light of the claims of a community that was affected during the hurricanes, and the hard work of our team to draft accurate claims within the framework required by the agency, the good people of the Jagüeyes sector of the Cuyón neighborhood can rest assured that their community will be attended to. PR-162 has many needs, so this obligation is a welcome relief for those who pass through it daily,” said the Mayor of Aibonito, William Alicea-Pérez.
To date, FEMA has obligated more than $101 million for mitigation measures in 1,301 projects. These measures seek to strengthen facilities and structures in a cost-effective manner to lessen the effects of future disasters, the agency said.
To this end, the municipality of Aguas Buenas will use about $6,400 to install an anchorage system for its air conditioning units. Similarly, Culebra proposes anchoring and reinforcing equipment on the roof of the Center and installing geotextiles on the different roads to prevent erosion.
In addition, a reinforcement system will be installed for the asphalt surface on the Aibonito road with about $3,000 of the obligated funds.
