GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico– More than $870 million in federal funds has been provided to Puerto Rico survivors of Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
This includes money paid out in FEMA grants, U.S. Small Business Administration low-interest loans and National Flood Insurance Policy claims. These funds help make it possible to begin rebuilding homes and restoring communities.
Here is an update of the ongoing recovery efforts 90 days after Maria’s Sept. 20 landfall:
- More than $724 million in federal grants are in the hands of 10,000 homeowners and renters.
- U.S. Small Business Administration distributed more than $144 million in low-interest disaster loans to 3,700 businesses and residents.
- FEMA has approved more than $53 million for debris removal and $417 million for emergency protective measures.
- National Flood Insurance Program paid approximately $2.8 million in claims.
- More than 1,600 Puerto Rico residents who lost work or income due to Irma or Maria received $287,000 in Disaster Unemployment Assistance through the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources.
- More than 56 million liters of water and 48 million meals were distributed, making it the largest and longest commodity delivery mission in FEMA’s history. Commodities were delivered by air, off-road vehicles and even foot.
- In one of the largest medical response missions ever, more than 4,700 medical personnel deployed and cared for more than 37,600 survivors.
- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has installed more than 930 generators, making it the largest generator mission in USACE’s history.
- USACE has installed more than 23,000 temporary roofs through the Operation Blue Roof program.
- FEMA delivered more than 120,000 tarps to municipalities on the island for survivors to use as they make more permanent repairs to their homes.
- More than 9,600 survivors are being temporarily housed in Puerto Rico and 38 other states through FEMA’s TransitionalShelter Assistance program for displaced families.
- More than 2,000 USACE and contractor personnel are on the ground in the power restoration effort along with seven power-industry incident management teams from 15 states supporting the restoration of Puerto Rico’s power grid that was devastated from Maria. These teams are working to restore power to the most populated areas, and then will move into more densely populated areas until all power is restored on the island.
- USACE contractors have removed more than a 1.3 million cubic yards of debris.
- More than 1,300 local Puerto Rico residents have been hired by FEMA and SBA to assist in the long-term recovery efforts.
- More than 30 Disaster Recovery Centers around the island have welcomed more than 162,000 visitors.
For more information on Hurricanes Irma and Maria recovery, visit the Hurricane Maria disaster web page at www.fema.gov/disaster/4339, the FEMA Puerto Rico Facebook page at facebook.com/femapuertorico or on Twitter @FEMARegion2.