Hochul promises assistance to Puerto Rico
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Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday announced New York state actions to support Puerto Rico in the wake of devastating flooding and winds caused by Hurricane Fiona, the worst storm to hit the island since Hurricane Maria in 2017.
Following a call with Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi, Hochul directed the New York State Police to send 50 troopers to assist with keeping residents safe, and 50 additional troopers will be deployed in the coming weeks. The governor also announced the state has been working with Delta, JetBlue, Coca-Cola, New York State's Building Trades, the Greater New York Hospital Association, and SOMOS Community Care, who have all pledged their support for response and recovery efforts. Additionally, teams from the New York Power Authority are ready to deploy and assist in restoring power to the island.
"New York knows full well the devastating impact that Mother Nature can bring, and that is why we stand ready to help the people of Puerto Rico recover and rebuild from this terrible storm," Hochul said. "Our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico are incredibly resilient but, in times like this, New York will be there to help in any way we can, including sending personnel and resources to help the island and its residents recover."
Hochul reiterated that the storm is not yet over, as its general motion northwest is expected to continue through this evening, before making a turn to the northeast later this week.
Locally, Dunkirk Mayor Wilfred Rosas said city residents who have relatives in the territory have been able to be in contact with them since most of the lines of communication are still in operation. In addition, Rosas said though the city is not part of the efforts, there will be a basket for donations for hurricane relief in the city clerk's office. Those contributions will then be forwarded on to the Hispanic Hertiage Council, which will handle distribution.
On Sunday, President Joe Biden declared Hurricane Fiona an emergency, authorizing FEMA to coordinate disaster relief efforts.
New York will work to support any requests coordinated by FEMA in the coming days to assist the residents of Puerto Rico. Delta and JetBlue will both donate cargo space and transport emergency personnel; the Greater New York Hospital Association will provide medical supplies; and Coca-Cola has committed water and additional supplies. Habitat for Humanity of New York City and Westchester County and the State's Building Trades also have committed their support as needs are identified.
Puerto Rico has seen rainfall from the storm totaling 12 to 20 inches, and up to 30 inches in some localized areas. These rainfall amounts are capable of producing life-threatening and catastrophic flooding. More than one million Puerto Ricans are currently without power as critical infrastructure systems have been damaged, and tropical storm conditions continue to impact the island.
Since Hurricane Maria, New York has helped Puerto Rico secure billions of dollars in federal funding from FEMA to recover and rebuild the island's energy infrastructure, in addition to NYPA performing technical assessments of powerplants and substations on the island.