SAN JUAN – FEMA has awarded nearly $46 million in additional grants to cover Hurricane María-related expenses. These awards bring the total amount of funds obligated under the agency’s Public Assistance program to $3.9 billion.
The grants approved are distributed as follows:
- Nearly $14.4 million to the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority and Wisconsin Electric Power Company for emergency protective measures
- Nearly $13.3 million to the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority and Arizona Public Service Company for emergency protective measures
- More than $10.6 million to the municipality of Carolina to remove debris
- More than $4 million to the Puerto Rico Bureau of Emergency Management and Disaster Administration
- More than $3.2 million to the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority for emergency protective measures
Emergency protective measures are actions taken to eliminate or lessen immediate threats either to lives, public health or safety, or significant additional damage to public or private property in a cost-effective manner.
FEMA’s Public Assistance program obligates funds to private nonprofit organizations, municipalities and agencies of the Government of Puerto Rico for expenses related to hurricanes Irma and María.
The program provides grants to presidentially-declared municipalities, eligible government agencies and certain private nonprofit organizations. This assistance is granted for debris removal, life-saving emergency protective measures and the repair, replacement or restoration of disaster-damaged facilities. The Public Assistance program also encourages protection of these damaged facilities from future events by providing assistance for hazard mitigation measures during the recovery process.
FEMA obligates funding for claimed projects to the applicant through Puerto Rico’s Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency. It is the government’s responsibility to ensure that the eligible agencies, municipalities and nonprofits receive these awards as reimbursements after they provide appropriate documentation.
For more information on the Hurricane María recovery, please go to: fema.gov/disaster/4339
