Five weeks after Hurricane María pummeled Puerto Rico, about 72.6 percent of local bank branches, or 228, have resumed operations, according to data from the Office of the Financial Institutions Commissioner.
Hurricane María’s devastating impact on Puerto Rico could eventually ring positive for the island’s economy, which has been crippled by a 12-year recession and the recent catastrophic storm.
Puerto Rico has been living through a storm for the past 12 years, and as with every storm, it has experienced different levels of intensity. But the current circumstances have to be handled quickly to be able to build the Puerto Rico that is needed, said José Rafael Fernández, CEO of Oriental Financial Group.