On the eve of the term to be able to file it, the governor Peter Pierluisi requested today, Tuesday, the President of the United States, Joe Biden, to issue a Major Disaster Declaration to make way for federal assistance for individuals in seven municipalities affected by heavy rains that caused flooding in early February.
The seven towns are: Toa Baja, Toa Alta, Cataño, Vega Baja, Vega Alta, Dorado and San Juan
The chief executive reported yesterday that he had not requested the statement from the federal government because there were still municipalities that owed him information. Now, Fortaleza informed, through a press release, that following the request other municipalities might be added later via amendment to the request of the chief executive.
“After receiving all the information required by the agencies and municipalities, today I ask the President of the United States, Joe Biden, to show solidarity with all Puerto Rican families, particularly those in the municipalities of Toa Baja, Cataño, Vega Baja, Vega Alta, Dorado and San Juan affected by the rains that affected the Island from February 4 to 6 last. As a government, we took all the appropriate and necessary measures, including the implementation of the State Response Plan, the activation of the National Guard, Executive Order 2022-08 in which I declared a State of Emergency, and the response and rescue aid was coordinated,” Pierluisi said.
In the letter sent to the President of the United States, Pierluisi explained that there are currently 503 residences affected in these municipalities, which are broken down into 180 located in Toa Baja, regarding 165 in Cataño, 40 in Vega Baja, 37 in Vega Alta, 11 in Toa Alta. and 5 in San Juan.
For his part, the executive director of the Central Office of Recovery, Reconstruction and Resilience of Puerto Rico (COR3), Manuel Laboy Rivera, indicated that they will be “attentive to the acceptance of this Declaration of Disaster under the Program of FEMA Individual Assistance to assist those affected by these heavy rains as necessary. Through this federal program, some 503 affected families might apply for interim or temporary housing assistance, as well as funds for the repair or replacement of their homes, in addition to personal property, vehicles and medical expenses, among others.”
In passing, the official stressed that the damage assessment continues in other municipalities that might eventually be included in the petition to the federal government.
The governor clarified that the requested declaration does not include the public assistance program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and that the State Emergency Fund will be used for that. “We are going to continue working hard and directly with the mayors so that with the state funds that we have available we can attend to the needs and damage caused by the rains,” he said.
The President of the United States can issue the Declaration under the federal Robert T. Stafford Emergency Relief and Assistance Act, it was reported.
