FEMA awards $15.2 million to PRASA for post-Fiona emergency measures
By The Star Staff
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded $15.2 million in public assistance grant funding on Thursday to the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) for emergency protective measures taken after Hurricane Fiona.
The funds will reimburse costs to install and run generators that provided temporary power at all PRASA water supply and sewage collection system facilities after the disaster.
“The $15.2 million approved by FEMA for the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority is evidence that we are on the right track,” Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia said. “Just two months after Hurricane Fiona hit the Island, we stand together and committed to Puerto Rico’s reconstruction, in particular for essential services like those provided by PRASA. I again thank the Biden-Harris administration for working with us for the well being of our people.”
“In just over two months since Fiona made landfall, federal dollars are already flowing to Puerto Rico to cover the critical work undertaken after the storm to protect public safety,” said FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Nancy Casper. “This $15.2 million award is just part of the nearly $600 million that FEMA has funded for the recovery of the island for individual and public assistance, as we continue to work closely with the government of Puerto Rico, municipality leaders and other eligible entities to streamline additional obligations in the weeks and months ahead.”
FEMA’s Public Assistance Program provides funding to local government jurisdictions and eligible private nonprofits for the repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged infrastructure as well as costs incurred for emergency actions taken to protect lives and property.