San Juan, Puerto Rico — In the six months since the Sept. 21 disaster declaration for Hurricane Fiona, more than $864.7 million in federal funds have been distributed to support the recovery of survivors and infrastructure on the island. The collaboration between FEMA, the Government of Puerto Rico, the municipalities, and local and federal partners remains strong which has been key to identifying and fulfilling disaster related needs.
“It’s been six months since Hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico, the first to make landfall after hurricane María in 2017. Since I was sworn in as Governor in January 2021 and before Fiona, our relationship with the federal government, including FEMA, has been excellent. We have been working together with FEMA to rebuild our Island and proof of our joint efforts is the announcement of the arrival of the first temporary generation units that will provide energy during hurricane season. Our government is focused on actions, and I want to express my sincere appreciation to FEMA and the federal government for the commitment we are showing the people of Puerto Rico,” said the Governor of Puerto Rico, Pedro R. Pierluisi.
FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program has provided more than $629 million in disaster grants to support the recovery of nearly 735,000 Puerto Rico households (as of Mar. 16).
- Housing Assistance: Nearly $58 million
- Other Needs Assistance: Nearly $571 million
While the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) approved more than $102.3 million in disaster loans for 3,415 small businesses, homeowners, renters, and private nonprofit organizations with losses resulting from Hurricane Fiona.
In addition, FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) funding to assist communities by reimbursing costs for emergency work and permanent repairs has topped more than $130 million. This amount includes over $121 million for emergency protective measures and more than $2.4 million for permanent work.
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has closed 121 claims totaling more than $3.5 million in payments. For those covered by flood insurance, insurance payments can help restore a home to its pre-disaster condition, provide for loss of personal property and speed up the recovery process.
“FEMA has worked diligently with all our partners to reach the goals outlined for this disaster. We must continue to be laser focused on doing as much as we can to provide the best service possible to those affected by Hurricane Fiona. We must remember, this is a long-term effort, but one that will be incredibly important for building a stronger more resilient Puerto Rico,” said Federal Coordinating Office, Nancy Casper.
Puerto Rico and FEMA Work Towards Recovery
- Individual assistance specialists have been making targeted callouts to those most in need of help navigating Individual Assistance. Over 35,000 calls to households have been made, resulting in $10.2 million in assistance (as of Mar. 15).
- Early in the disaster, FEMA operated 43 Disaster Recovery Centers in affected areas to meet with disaster survivors face-to-face and assist them in accessing federal and the government of Puerto Rico programs to help in their recovery. Throughout the recovery, more than 169,000 visitors were helped at the DRCs.
- Voluntary organizations have been active since the storm made landfall. More than 121 organizations have helped survivors with cleanup, financial and housing assistance, mental health and other types of support.
- FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance teams visited nearly 51,000 homes to offer guidance on the recovery process, assist with applications for federal assistance, and to help those who already applied to complete and submit required paperwork.
The joint efforts of the Government of Puerto Rico, FEMA and its many partners will continue to support Puerto Rico's recovery following Hurricane Fiona. Visit fema.gov/disaster/4671 to learn more about Puerto Rico’s recovery after Hurricane Fiona.
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