U.S. Forest Service in Puerto Rico gets $2M in emergency funding
The funding will be used to repair damage from Tropical Storm Ernesto.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced the immediate availability of $2 million in “quick release” Emergency Relief funds to the U.S. Forest Service in Puerto Rico.
The funds will be used to help cover the costs of repairing roadways in El Yunque National Forest, which were damaged by Tropical Storm Ernesto last month. Heavy rains, strong winds, landslides and severe flooding caused by the storm rendered several federally owned roads impassable, the FHWA stated.
“The emergency funding we’re sending to Puerto Rico will help quickly reopen and re-establish the transportation network in the El Yunque National Forest,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Following the damage caused by Tropical Storm Ernesto, we’re working urgently to reconnect a tropical rainforest popular with tourists and visitors and make the infrastructure more resilient to future weather events.”
“The Federal Highway Administration is working closely with the U.S. Forest Service to repair the damage caused by Tropical Storm Ernesto,” added Acting Federal Highway Administrator Kristin White. “Emergency relief funding helps communities swiftly receive federal funds to more quickly repair impacted areas and restore access.”
Tropical Storm Ernesto struck Puerto Rico on Aug. 15, bringing more than 10 inches of rain to parts of the island. The storm’s 60-mile-per-hour winds toppled trees, tore roofs from homes, stranded people in floodwaters and left hundreds of thousands without power.
U.S. Forest Service workers, along with the Federal Highway Administration Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division, are currently carrying out critical repairs. These include removing downed trees, debris and overhead hazards from six roadways and five trails.
Additionally, teams are clearing material from landslides and temporarily stabilizing slopes to ensure safe travel along affected routes and trails.
The damage to El Yunque National Forest is estimated at $6.5 million.
