OVER $1 BILLION IN FEMA FUNDS TO MITIGATE FUTURE DISASTER HAZARDS
[https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20221122/over-1-billion-fema-funds-mitigate-future-disaster-hazards]


Release Date: 
十一月 22, 2022 

_Milestone reached thanks to the efforts of FEMA employees, the local
government and eligible organizations, as part of the $28 billion
allocated for Hurricane María_

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO –As Puerto Rico’s recovery from damage
caused by Hurricane María progresses, the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) has allocated over $1 billion to reduce the
impact that other natural disasters may have on the island. These
funds include measures such as the use of components that are more
resistant to wind, changes from low-water-crossings to bridges, storm
runoff management on municipal and state roads, elevating structures
in flood prone areas and other techniques that seek to strengthen
reconstruction projects.

To date, over 6,300 projects to rebuild public buildings, roads and
other spaces in the communities have benefited from mitigation funds.
With this, the Agency seeks to create long-term resilience on the
island.

“About 87 percent of projects for hurricanes Irma and María have
funds that go toward mitigation. For these, FEMA funds go beyond
repairing the damage: we are helping the new reconstruction to
withstand future events, which will reduce reconstruction costs later
on,” said Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator José G. Baquero.

Waterproofing for the Auxilio Mutuo Hospital facilities is part of the
mitigation measures that this institution will develop with the
allocation of over $12.8 million from FEMA. As explained by its
Executive Director Jorge L. Matta, among the main damage and
challenges to this century-old structure — the first of its
buildings was inaugurated in 1910 — were leaks and the power supply
during the first 20 days after Hurricane María, while the electrical
system was restored.

Through mitigation funds, roofs and windows will be waterproofed, in
compliance with historic preservation guidelines. The allocation will
also strengthen the uninterrupted supply of energy through a system
that will produce energy in the hospital, with a battery bank and a
recharging system with generators; all this, without removing their
emergency generators. To address mitigation against future strong
winds, the work will include reinforcements to protect the internal
electrical system.

“For institutions like this, the cost of doing all which needs to be
done, if it were not with the help of FEMA, it would be very
difficult, if not impossible. We are convinced that we will definitely
have a much more robust hospital. And we are grateful that they can
help us so that we can have a very resilient hospital, worthy of
caring for all our patients and everyone who arrives,” said Matta.

Meanwhile, mitigation measures will be carried out in several
communities around the island to benefit residents. One example is the
Abra Honda Low Water Crossing in the municipality of San Sebastián,
where the Guajataca River washed away a road during the floods caused
by Hurricane María. The mitigation proposal seeks to elevate the road
with a single-span bridge that is above flood level. For this, the
municipality has close to $2.2 million from FEMA for the low water
crossing, which will connect roads PR-451 and PR-4451 and will provide
the most direct route between the Guacio neighborhood and downtown San
Sebastián, where most of the community’s jobs, hospitals and
supermarkets are located.

Deputy Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator Andrés García said that
"this achievement would not have been possible without the efforts of
several people and components at FEMA who have worked as a team with
the Government of Puerto Rico, COR3, the municipalities and eligible
non-profit organizations. Our Hazard Mitigation team has done a
commendable job ensuring that our island has funds that will
strengthen our infrastructure for the long term. We are very grateful
to them. In addition to being a part of FEMA, they are also survivors,
so they understand the importance of this reconstruction
first-hand.”

For the executive director of the Central Office for Recovery,
Reconstruction and Resiliency (COR3), Manuel A. Laboy Rivera,
maximizing the resources available when designing and building
resiliently, considering future risks, is vital to avoid, to the
extent possible, significant damage as a result of a new natural
disaster.

“As part of the assistance that our COR3 staff offers to
subrecipients, we guide them through the project formulation process
to ensure that factors that pose a threat to infrastructure and
communities are taken into consideration. This is how we rebuild with
efficiency and resilience, implementing mitigation measures in the
reconstruction,” said COR3’s executive director.

To date, FEMA has obligated nearly $28.6 billion for over 10,200
projects that will support Puerto Rico’s recovery.

For more information about Puerto Rico’s recovery from Hurricane
María, visit fema.gov/disaster/4339
[https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4339] y recovery.pr
[https://recovery.pr.gov/en]. Follow us on social media at
Facebook.com/FEMAPuertoRico [http://www.facebook.com/femapuertorico],
Facebook.com/COR3pr [http://www.facebook.com/cor3pr] and Twitter
@COR3pr [https://twitter.com/cor3pr].