FEMA: Hurricane Fiona recovery process fueled by $563M in funding
The recovery process from 2022’s Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico is well underway, with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) allocating more than $563 million in Public Assistance (PA) program funds for emergency and permanent projects to repair damaged infrastructure on the island, the agency stated.
In December 2023, FEMA said it approved 174 obligations, including nine large projects totaling nearly $20 million for recovery work such as debris removal and the repair of roads and bridges affected by the hurricane.
“Puerto Rico’s recovery continues at a solid pace. This is possible because of the collaborative work with FEMA. A great example is that, just 15 months after Hurricane Fiona made landfall in Puerto Rico, more than $1.2 billion in direct disaster assistance has already been approved and more than $563 million has been authorized for permanent construction projects, including several large ones for more than $20 million,” stated Gov. Pedro Pierluisi.
Currently, the municipality of Coamo has received the most significant project allocation, nearly $10 million, for the reconstruction of a low water crossing road in Barrio Pasto, including the removal and replacement of a sloped earthen embankment and other components.
Additionally, Naranjito received more than $4.7 million for road repairs in Camino Las Pelusas, Barrio Cedro Abajo.
“The approval of nine large projects during the most festive months of the year, where many people tend to be on leave, demonstrates our commitment to Puerto Rico’s recovery, which will continue throughout 2024,” said Robert Little, FEMA’s federal coordinating officer for Hurricane Fiona.
FEMA categorizes as large projects those recovery works under the Public Assistance program that require a federal cost-share of $1 million or more. The PA program funds the Puerto Rico government, municipalities and eligible private nonprofits to repair, replace or restore disaster-damaged infrastructure and cover emergency measures to protect lives and property.
FEMA said that, to date, it has approved 50 large permanent works projects, totaling nearly $118 million for permanent works.
In collaboration with the Puerto Rico government, FEMA evaluates and identifies strategies to mitigate potential future damage through FEMA’s PA Hazard Mitigation Program. To date, FEMA has approved nearly $74 million in additional funds for mitigation measures.
This year “shows promise,” the agency noted, with the first project under these criteria already obligated for more than $2.7 million, including nearly $268,000 in hazard mitigation expenses in Los Verdes Sector in Adjuntas.
Furthermore, Barranquitas has received more than $4.6 million to fund the repair of roads and bridges in Camino Emilio Avilés and Camino Otilio Colón.
