The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has completed more than 850 site inspections in Puerto Rico as part of the Public Assistance Program to jumpstart the island’s recovery in the wake of Hurricane Fiona.
The inspections included approximately 1,625 infrastructures and facilities that applicants claimed were damaged by the storm, a recent FEMA press release said. The agency noted that it has received lists from applications documenting damage, with approximately 12,300 facilities and infrastructure components targeted for evaluation. These include 624 items from private nonprofit groups such as churches, more than 5,700 items from municipalities and nearly 6,000 items from government entities.
“Recovery from Hurricane Fiona is advancing at a steady pace, with hundreds of site inspections and follow-up meetings anticipated in the coming weeks,” Nancy Casper, FEMA’s federal coordinating officer for Hurricane Fiona, said in the release.
The agency noted that the listings of damaged items must be inspected to confirm eligibility.
“To keep this momentum and avoid delays in the public assistance process, it is very important that municipalities, government agencies and nonprofit organizations continue providing information in a timely manner,” Casper said.
But the process can be a daunting task for the agency, the release said. It currently has 60 site inspectors, including 15 new inspectors recruited from Puerto Rico to supplement the efforts to inspect storm-damaged sites.
Jorge D. López, FEMA’s PA deputy Infrastructure Branch director, explained that PA program delivery is a complex process that has ”several phases of review, validation and approval.” They hope to complete all site inspections before the end of April.
The program delivery process features seven phases, starting with an initial damage assessment after the storm and ending with a project reconciliation and closing, the release said. Other stages can include inspection and documentation of damage.
The agency also noted that professionals are required to adhere to federal regulations and program requirements, and they must analyze data and review documents at each step.
