A federal judge on Monday gave Puerto Rican evacuees a 20-day extension before they need to leave the hotels provided for them by FEMA.
This extension to the Transitional Shelter Assistance program affects roughly 1,700 Puerto Ricans who have been temporarily relocated by FEMA to hotels in 27 different states, including New York, Massachusetts, and Florida. Puerto Ricans will now be able to stay in those hotels, which are paid for by FEMA, until July 24.
FEMA's assistant administrator of the recovery directorate, Keith Turi, said on Tuesday that Puerto Rican Gov. Ricardo Rossello had told FEMA that the territory would not apply for any further extensions.
FEMA also announced on Sunday that it would be extending "Transportation Assistance for Puerto Rico disaster survivors on the U.S. mainland" until August 30. This assistance includes the cost of airfare, baggage, and pet fees to travel from the mainland United States to Puerto Rico.
FEMA reported that it had spent $432 million housing survivors as part of the Transitional Shelter Assistance program, and that it has provided "rental assistance" to 25,000 families hurt by the disaster.
According to FEMA, "97 percent of those enrolled in the program have successfully transitioned to more permanent housing."
Yes, but the damage it left behind was extensive.
As of June 1, 11,000 Puerto Ricans were reported to still be without power due to damage caused by Hurricane Maria.
By July 3, that number had dropped significantly but was still reported at around 1,942. Despite official numbers being much lower, researchers have estimated that the death toll from the hurricane and its aftermath may have climbed above 4,500.
Today in Puerto Rico
9 months after Hurricane Maria
1,942 customers still don’t have power
Among the towns where families without electricity: Utuado, Adjuntas, Jayuya, Aibonito, Barranquitas, Humacao & Yabucoa, reports @ElNuevoDia
Call 787.521.4444 if you don’t have power
— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) July 3, 2018
