FEMA declares "mission accomplished" in Puerto Rico, announces departure
Source: Salon
Rural municipalities are still struggling, though a majority of island residents have power
CHARLIE MAY
01.30.2018•8:44 AM
Four months after Hurricane Maria left Puerto Rico devastated, federal assistance is coming to a close and will "officially shut off" on Wednesday. Parts of the island, however, are still left in desperation and have said federal aid distribution should continue.
Since the storm struck late last September, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has distributed over 30 million gallons of potable water and nearly 60 million meals to the island's residents, NPR reported:
To date, FEMA has approved more than $500 million in Maria-related public assistance, though it's unclear how much of that is slated for local government and nonprofit groups versus direct aid for individuals. The agency has also disbursed an additional $3.2 million in unemployment aid to people whose jobs were affected by the storm.
"The reality is that we just need to look around. Supermarkets are open, and things are going back to normal," Alejandro De La Campa, FEMA's director in Puerto Rico told NPR. "If we're giving free water and food, that means that families are not going to supermarkets to buy."
Read more: https://www.salon.com/2018/01/30/fema-declares-mission-accomplished-in-puerto-rico-announces-departure/
But a third of Puerto Rico still lacks electricity and some areas still don't have running water, even though FEMA has said "only about 1 percent of islanders still need emergency food and water," NPR reported. There are some residents on the island who have expressed it's simply too soon to end federal aid assistance, and they are concerned about proportionate distribution of the remaining FEMA supplies that will be turned over to the Puerto Rican government.
= new reply since forum marked as read
..."to date, FEMA has approved more than $500 million in Maria-related public assistance, though it's unclear how much of that is slated for local government and nonprofit groups versus direct aid for individuals. The agency has also disbursed an additional $3.2 million in unemployment aid to people whose jobs were affected by the storm."
Gee, that amounts to almost 4% of what Walmart will receive back from the GOP tax scam for the wealthy in one year!
We all pale in the shadow of the mighty, benevolent Trump administration. 