FEMA is planning to arrange some major relief efforts for stranded Puerto Ricans. With hotels filled to compact, electrical contractor issues, and major problems with basic resources two months following Hurricane Maria decimated the country, the agency is now offering free lights and temporary housing in Florida.
FEMA’s traditional strategies for assisting displaced individuals following a natural disaster are not really working this time around. As a solution, FEMA is working with Florida and New York to organize another relief program. That said, how many Puerto Ricans will take up the offer. Thousands of Puerto Ricans have already left the country, and those who remain may just be determined to remain in the country to save their home and keep their families together.
Recently, Gov. Ricardo Russelló told 60 Minutes about the hard decision that Puerto Ricans are being forced to make as they choose to stay or leave everything behind.
“You can see it every day at the San Juan airport,” he said. “There are tearful goodbyes as families break up and head off to start a new life on the mainland. The JetBlue solution they call it. More than 100,000 have left since Maria struck Puerto Rico 46 days ago. Some will return, many won’t.”
For those who are cannot wait or afford to evacuate, the “Air-Bridge” deal is a possibility for people to get a new start. Only 30 of 300 surveyed Puerto Ricans said they were interested to take up FEMA’s offer. But, states like Florida are working to help those affected by the natural disaster. In fact, Orlando schools have made room for 1,300 Puerto Rican students.