FEMA approves construction funds for 17 Early Warning systems
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved more than $41.3 million for the construction phase of the Early Warning System (EWS) for 17 dams in 12 Puerto Rican municipalities.
This system will help monitor conditions that could threaten these dams, notify residents during weather-related events and detect potential failures during regular operations.
In August, FEMA approved an initial EWS for 20 dams, allocating more than $53 million. These approvals are part of a mitigation project to strengthen dam safety, with a total award of nearly $100 million for EWS installation in 37 dams across Puerto Rico.
“The EWS is vital to the community’s safety. Through these alarm systems, people will be notified in case of emergencies such as extreme floods, controlled flood releases or seismic activity, so they can take timely action to reduce disaster risks. Besides helping save lives and property, this will strengthen disaster preparedness and risk reduction in the communities located downstream of each dam,” said FEMA’s federal disaster recovery coordinator, José G. Baquero.
The dams included in this phase are: Dagüey and Ajíes in Añasco; Regulador in Isabela; La Plata in Toa Alta; Las Curías in San Juan; Carraízo in Trujillo Alto; Río Blanco in Naguabo; Toa Vaca in Villalba; and Ana María 2, Ana María 5, Cerrillos, La Ponceña and Portugués in Ponce. Dams in Cidra, Comerío and Fajardo are also part of this group.
The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) oversees the execution of this project. The EWS systems would be installed in all the dams of the Government of Puerto Rico, which belong to PREPA, The Puerto Rico Aqueducts and Sewer Authority (AAA, in Spanish) or the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA, in Spanish). Aside from these dams, there are others which are private or under the management of the municipality.
The project will include various EWS components such as dam instrumentation, siren systems, GPS and controls systems, evacuation route signage, flood poles and a community outreach program, FEMA stated.
Early awareness of potential dangers is a key mitigation measure, enabling residents to recognize warnings, plan and identify evacuation routes.
“This important work adds to the other efforts already underway by various government agencies through FEMA funds, which provide resilience to that type of infrastructure in order to safeguard people’s lives in case of emergency,” said Manuel Laboy, executive director of Puerto Rico’s Central Office of Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency.
“Our team will continue to provide the technical assistance required in this new process, which begins with the construction phase of this project,” he added.
