PONCE, Puerto Rico – The Government of Puerto Rico, the Central Office for Reconstruction, Recovery and Resiliency (COR3) and FEMA have partnered together to open a Joint Field Office in Ponce. This office will serve as a central point of coordination and decision making close to the earthquake-impacted areas. Federal disaster funds are now available for recovery efforts in 25 municipalities affected by earthquakes from Dec. 28, 2019 to Feb. 4, 2020. On Jan. 16, 2020 President Trump signed a major disaster declaration due to the earthquakes impacting municipalities in Puerto Rico.
“Before the earthquakes began, FEMA and the Government of Puerto Rico have been working together to not only recover from the impacts of Hurricane Maria but to grow our capacity to respond to other disasters here in Puerto Rico,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Alex Amparo. “Today we have opened a new base of operations to help us better serve the 25 municipalities impacted by these earthquakes.”
In addition to thousands of bottles of water, cots and meals provided immediately after the earthquakes, FEMA has approved over $22.6 million in Individual Assistance directly to survivors.
The Government of Puerto Rico and FEMA continue to support 15 Disaster Recovery Centers across the island. These centers provide resources for survivors to register for FEMA’s Individual Assistance program, get updates on their cases and find additional resources to move forward on the path to recovery. Individuals needing assistance with applications should continue to seek one-on-one assistance at any of the 15 open DRCs.
“There is no doubt a coordinated partnership makes for successful recoveries,” said COR3 Executive Director, Ottmar J. Chavez. “By working together, we will help Puerto Rico and its citizens in the designated municipalities receive all of the federal assistance they are eligible for under the law.”
FEMA's mission is helping people before, during and after disasters.
COR3 ensures that the Government of Puerto Rico successfully undertakes reconstruction efforts with efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency, while capitalizing on opportunities to build back in a way that makes Puerto Rico better, stronger, and more resilient.
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FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters.
Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362) or 711 for Video Relay Service. Multilingual operators are available. (Press 2 for Spanish.) TTY call 800-462-7585.
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