By The Star Staff
Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia said Monday he is evaluating the possibility of requesting a disaster zone declaration for the municipalities in Puerto Rico impacted by Tropical Storm Ernesto, depending on the damage reported and whether the threshold required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is reached.
“Puerto Rico has already been granted an emergency declaration, and we have federal assistance available, but we have not needed it so far,” Pierluisi said at a press conference. “However, mayors are raising their damage estimates. If we reach the threshold required by FEMA, I do not rule out requesting a disaster zone declaration for municipalities that have suffered significant damage.”
The governor noted that he has personally seen the damage in some municipalities, which includes damage to roads, homes and the electrical system.
“All this data must be compiled, and working with FEMA, if we reach the threshold, I would be requesting the declaration of a major disaster area in the municipalities most impacted by the storm,” he said.
Pierluisi went on to say that the Emergency Fund has not been used so far. He said the Office of Management and Budget is in communication with the municipalities so that they can make their requests for fiscal support if they have incurred significant expenses.
“It is a matter of complying with the guidelines and requirements of the [Financial] Oversight [and Management] Board, because we have $1.3 billion in that fund available,” the governor said.
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