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In Puerto Rico, Biden Pledges $60 Million in Hurricane Resilience Aid

HeadlineOct 04, 2022

President Biden visited Puerto Rico on Monday, where he pledged U.S. disaster relief, two weeks after Hurricane Fiona collapsed the island’s electrical grid with high winds, storm surge and heavy flooding. Speaking from the Port of Ponce on Puerto Rico’s southern coast, Biden pledged to send “every single dollar” promised to Puerto Rico by the federal government.

President Joe Biden: “We know that the climate crisis and more extreme weather are going to continue to hit this island and hit the United States overall. And as we rebuild, we have to ensure that we build it to last. We’re particularly focused on the power grid.”

Biden pledged $60 million in additional funding to shore up Puerto Rico’s levees, fortify flood walls and create a new flood warning system. His pledge came as FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said the cost of repairing Puerto Rico’s electrical grid would require “billions” of dollars. Tomorrow Biden will tour parts of Florida devastated by Hurricane Ian. The storm’s death toll has topped 100, with search and rescue crews on warning they’re likely to uncover more bodies in hard-hit parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast in the coming days.

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