President Donald Trump signed a major disaster declaration for Puerto Rico on Thursday, authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to give aid to the island still reeling from earthquakes that shut off power, collapsed buildings and wrecked infrastructure, the island’s Gov. Wanda Vazquez Garced said in a tweet.
At least one person died and hundreds of thousands were left without power after an earthquake swarm struck the island at the end of December and into early January.
The declaration signed by Trump authorizes federal aid to remove debris and provides money for public health and safety, according to Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon, the island’s representative to the U.S. Congress.
Credit: Carlos Giusti
Credit: Carlos Giusti
It also authorizes building to mitigate future disasters and covers six municipalities including Ponce, Guanica and Yauco.
The request for the declaration was made by Vazquez.
“We thank the (president) for his commitment helping relieve the suffering of our fellow citizens,” she tweeted.
The island has struggled since Hurricane Maria in 2017, which resulted in deaths and mass power outages. Natural disasters, alongside political upheaval, last year triggered mass protests that resulted in the resignation of Gov. Ricardo Rossello in July.
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