We have a large body of work looking at ways the federal government can improve how it helps communities recover from disasters. And, as we’ve seen in the wake of Hurricane Ian in Florida, individuals may also struggle navigating insurance policies. Communities often face challenges understanding and accessing federal programs meant to aid recovery, while facing obstacles like displacement and power outages. Puerto Rico’s economic and disaster-recovery plan, which was submitted to Congress on August 8, 2018, attempts to grapple with these diverse challenges and position Puerto Rico for success in the future.Recovery from a hurricane can take years. In some cases, response activities were ongoing even as recovery plans were being developed. Nevertheless, the one-two punch of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, combined with the economic challenges and other stressors that Puerto Rico was facing prior to these storms, led to an extended disaster response period. In fact, hurricane is one of the few words that survives from the original inhabitants of Puerto Rico, the Taíno. Puerto Rico is exposed to tropical cyclones throughout the Atlantic hurricane season. Older adults, children, people with disabilities or chronic illnesses, rural residents, and women all faced challenges to recovery. And the effects persisted in the days, weeks, and months that followed: government services and private enterprise could not operate effectively, schools were closed, landslide zones faced flooding hazards, and wastewater polluted marine environments. In the aftermath of the storms, some residents lacked electricity, fresh food, and clean water for a prolonged period, and, with roads impassable, many had limited access to medical care. More than 95% of the Puerto Ricans lacked drinking waterĢ8% of federally qualified health centers were damaged A second major disaster declaration was issued on Septem( DR-4339), and FEMA extended eligibility for both Public Assistance and IA to all 78 of Puerto Rico’s municipalities. Many parts of Puerto Rico received at least 15 inches of rain in a 48-hour period. Hurricane-force winds combined with Puerto Rico’s mountainous terrain led to wind tunnels, increased rainfall, and flash flooding. The storm’s path moved directly across the main island, with the eye passing only 25 miles from the capital of San Juan. So close on the heels of Irma, Maria represented a near worst-case scenario for Puerto Rico. Rico as a category 4 hurricane with peak wind speeds of up to 155 miles per hour, and was the most intense hurricane to make landfall in Puerto Rico since 1928. Less than two weeks later, on September 20, Hurricane Maria directly hit Puerto On September 10, 2017, President Donald Trump issued a major disaster declaration for Puerto Rico ( DR-4336) and FEMA designated nine of Puerto Rico’s 78 municipalities as eligible for FEMA’s Individual Assistance (IA), which provides relief for immediate needs and housing restoration. Irma’s heavy rains saturated the ground and its damaging winds weakened Puerto Rico’s already-fragile physical infrastructure and natural systems. Hurricane Irma-a category 5 storm-passed close to the main island of Puerto Rico on September 7, 2017, leading to widespread power outages and water service interruptions for several days. In September 2017, Puerto Rico was struck by two major hurricanes in quick succession.
Two years later, the territory adopted a constitution (Constitución del Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, 1952), at which time it also became a U.S. In 1950, Puerto Rico was granted the right to organize a government with the passage of the Puerto Rican Federal Relations Act. citizen with freedom of movement to travel back and forth to the mainland. The coasts, which boast popular beaches and tourist attractions, are home to Puerto Rico’s larger cities, including the capital of San Juan.įollowing the Spanish–American War, Puerto Rico became an territory of the United States, and since passage of the Jones-Shafroth Act in 1917, anyone born in Puerto Rico is a U.S. Much of the interior of the main island is mountainous, characterized by steep slopes and narrow valleys and is relatively sparsely populated.
Situated between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, approximately 1,100 miles east-southeast of Miami, Florida, the archipelago of Puerto Rico consists of a main island two populated islands off its east coast, Culebra and Vieques and several smaller, uninhabited islands. Photo by OGphoto / Getty Images Puerto Rico San Juan, Puerto Rico, viewed from Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery.
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