Kamala Harris marks first visit to Puerto Rico as vice president, riling some in the US territory
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has visited Puerto Rico as part of a whirlwind trip to tout the federal aid the U.S. territory has received following deadly hurricanes and attend a Democratic fundraiser.
Puerto Rico to get billions for storm aid, reconstruction
FILE - In this May 28, 2020 file photo, the home of 85-year-old Carmen Lacen, sits inhabitable after the passing of Hurricane Maria partially covered by a torn, blue tarp, in Loiza, Puerto Rico. The U.S. territory is slated to receive more than $6 billion in federal funds to help prepare for future hurricanes and other disasters, officials said Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti, File)SAN JUAN โ Puerto Rico is slated to receive more than $6 billion in federal funds to help prepare the U.S. territory for future hurricanes and other disasters, officials said Tuesday. In addition, Puerto Rico now has access to $3.2 billion to continue rebuilding from hurricanes Irma and Maria, said Pierluisi, who praised the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden for acting quickly. Congress had assigned $67 billion to help with reconstruction efforts after the hurricanes devastated the island in September 2017, but of the $43 billion obligated, Puerto Rico has only received $18 billion amid concerns over how the money would be spent.
Trump administration announces $3.7 billion for Puerto Rico
The administration has been slow to release $44 billion in money that was approved for Puerto Rico following the devastating hurricane. But the White House said that once the water funding is allocated, the Trump administration will have obligated more than $40 billion to the islandโs recovery. That announcement came as Trump courted voters from Puerto Rico, most notably in the swing state of Florida. The grant announced Tuesday covers 90% of the estimated costs of the water and wastewater improvement projects. Even now, three years after the storm, thousands of homes are still damaged in Puerto Rico.
New project to probe Hurricane Maria deaths in Puerto Rico
SAN JUAN U.S. researchers who estimated that nearly 3,000 people died in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria are now investigating deaths that might have been missed and could be linked to infrastructure damaged by the Category 4 storm, officials announced Wednesday. The Milken Institute of Public Health at George Washington University received a nearly $1 million contract from the National Institute of Standards and Technology for the investigation. University officials said the project seeks to improve the death certification process and building standards across the U.S. mainland ahead of future storms as part of a collaboration with the University of Puerto Rico and others. Yaritsa Santiago, whose mother died after she was airlifted from Puerto Rico to Miami shortly after Maria struck, praised the upcoming investigation and said she was encouraged that the storm-related deaths will not be in vain. Puerto Ricos government at the time came under heavy criticism for severely undercounting the number of deaths related to Hurricane Maria, which destroyed the power grid and caused more than an estimated $100 billion in damage.
Tropical Storm Dorian now expected to be a major hurricane
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Tropical Storm Dorian is now expected to move over Puerto Rico and then intensify into a Category 3 hurricane as it sets its sights on the east coast of Florida. The National Hurricane Center shows Tropical Storm Dorian is holding its strength, but it's now forecast to become a Category 3 hurricane by Sunday morning. Dorian heads for Puerto Rico amid fears of floodingTropical Storm Dorian threatened Puerto Rico with a direct hit at near-hurricane force on Wednesday and forecasters said it could strengthen further as it approaches the U.S. mainland. The U.S. National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch and tropical storm warning for Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra and the U.S. Virgin Islands. A tropical storm warning also was issued for the British Virgin Islands, and a tropical storm watch was in force for the Dominican Republic from Isla Saona to Saman.
Hurricane Maria destroyed her home. Now Dorian threatens her shelter
Lucy Beascochea stands near the shelter she built after Hurricane Maria swept across Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico - All that is left intact of Lucy Beascochea's house are the stone stairs leading up to where it once was in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The rest was swept away by Hurricane Maria in 2017, along with her furniture, the power and the plumbing. And now with Tropical Storm Dorian set to hit Puerto Rico Wednesday, she worries about what will happen next. Dorian is expected to produce tropical storm force winds in Puerto Rico on Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Dorian approaching Puerto Rico, may soon reach hurricane strength
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Tropical Storm Dorian is expected to make landfall in Puerto Rico Wednesday, bringing dangerous rains to the island still reeling from 2017's Hurricane Maria. Early Wednesday, the storm was about 240 miles east southeast of Ponce, Puerto Rico, according to the National Hurricane Center. Heavy rains and strong windsThough not yet a hurricane, Tropical Storm Dorian is expected to bring severe conditions to the Caribbean. Puerto Rico and eastern parts of the Dominican Republic are under a tropical storm warning, and Puerto Rico is under a hurricane watch, the hurricane center said Tuesday evening. After passing Puerto Rico, Dorian is forecast to move near or over eastern Hispaniola on Thursday and move north, the hurricane center said.
Tropical Storm Dorian moves across St. Lucia into Caribbean Sea
Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic are under a hurricane watch and tropical storm warnings for Martinique and St. Vincent and the Grenadines as Tropical Storm Dorian approaches. This means a continued path just south of Puerto Rico and then interaction with possible landfall on the Dominican Republic Wednesday night. The latest adjustment to Tropical Storm Dorian's forecast keeps it stronger longer, but keeps below hurricane strength as it passes through the Caribbean. She said public schools would close Tuesday afternoon and that at least one cruise ship canceled its trip to Puerto Rico. It was expected to become a tropical storm by Tuesday night and continue blowing off the U.S. East Coast this week on a path to Canada's North Atlantic provinces.
Tropical Storm Dorian moves across St. Lucia into Caribbean Sea
Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic are under a hurricane watch and tropical storm warnings for Martinique and St. Vincent and the Grenadines as Tropical Storm Dorian approaches. This means a continued path just south of Puerto Rico and then interaction with possible landfall on the Dominican Republic Wednesday night. The latest adjustment to Tropical Storm Dorian's forecast keeps it stronger longer, but keeps below hurricane strength as it passes through the Caribbean. She said public schools would close Tuesday afternoon and that at least one cruise ship canceled its trip to Puerto Rico. It was expected to become a tropical storm by Tuesday night and continue blowing off the U.S. East Coast this week on a path to Canada's North Atlantic provinces.
Tropical Storm Dorian shifts east
The latest track forecast from the National Hurricane Center calls for Tropical Storm Dorian to pass closely to Puerto Rico southeastern side Wednesday and puts the entire East Coast in the possible path of the season's fourth tropical storm. This means a continued path just south of Puerto Rico and then interaction with possible landfall on the Dominican Republic Wednesday night. If those factors do not make a strong impact on Dorian, then we will be facing a tropical storm moving through the Bahamas toward South or Central Florida over Labor Day weekend. The latest adjustment to Tropical Storm Dorian's forecast keeps it stronger longer, but keeps below hurricane strength as it passes through the Caribbean. It was expected to become a tropical storm by Tuesday night and continue blowing off the U.S. East Coast this week on a path to Canada's North Atlantic provinces.