HURRICANE MARIA
Letter from Senators
Led by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Patty Murray (D-WA), 35 senators sent a letter to President Trump urging the administration to take swift action in addressing the situation in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. They called for 8 specific actions:
- Issue a full Disaster Declaration for the entire island of Puerto Rico.
- Appoint a Special Assistant for Rebuilding to coordinate federal efforts in Puerto Rico.
- Request additional funding for Puerto Rico’s Medicaid program.
- Utilize all federal resources to restore power.
- Mobilize additional Department of Defense assets including helicopters and construction battalions.
- Waive local cost share requirements for all categories of FEMA public assistance disaster funding.
- Send assets and expertise from across the federal government to restore communications.
- Ensure FEMA, Coast Guard, and DOD restore all ports to working condition.
Department of Homeland Security
- Jones Act Waived. The Department of Homeland has approved a waiver of the Jones Act that limits foreign ships’ transportation of Puerto Rico. The waiver will be in effect for 10 days and covers all products being shipped to Puerto Rico.
FEMA
- Stabilizing Critical Infrastructure. In both Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, FEMA is working with partners to restore power. More than half of dialysis centers in Puerto Rico the U.S. Virgin Islands are open for patients. The U.S. Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority drinking water system is back online. However, in Puerto Rico, long-term power restoration will involve rebuilding generation, transmission, and distribution capability.
HURRICANE IRMA
FEMA
Florida
- By the Numbers: (unchanged from 9/25)
- 144,407 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
- $124,387,092 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
- $56,284,303 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
- $68,102,790 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.
HURRICANE HARVEY
FEMA
- By the Numbers: (no change from 9/25)
- 213,062 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
- $407,677,861 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
- $276,665,092 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
- $131,012,769 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
- $203,906,217 Public Assistance Grants (PA) obligated** all of which are for Emergency Work (Categories A-B)
*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.
**Funds made available to the State via electronic transfer following FEMA's final review and approval of Public Assistance projects.
- DUA Extension. The deadline for Hurricane Harvey survivors to apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) has been extended to October 31.