UPDATE (12/02/2022) - Washington DC - Our friends at FEMA recently provided us with some resources and updates.
Hurricane Fiona Two Months Later
San Juan, Puerto Rico — It has been just over two months since Hurricane Fiona impacted individuals and communities across Puerto Rico. The heavy rains and strong winds damaged homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure. Nevertheless, FEMA, the Government of Puerto Rico, and other federal and local partners swiftly came together to support the island’s recovery.
FEMA Individual Assistance & SBA Numbers
FEMA has provided nearly $574M in individual assistance to help the recovery efforts of more than 712,000 Puerto Rico households. (as of Nov. 20)
The U.S. Small Business Administration has also approved nearly $21M in low-interest loans for homeowners and businesses. (as of Nov. 20)
FEMA Public Assistance Numbers
The agency has already received 292 requests for Public Assistance and identified 262 that are eligible.
The first project under Public Assistance, a category Z project for the recipient, was obligated on October 28, for a total award amount of $5.8M.
Disaster Recovery Centers
We opened 43 temporary Disaster Recovery Centers across the island in locations to serve survivors with the greatest support needs. Currently, 15 remain open.
DRC staff have provided in-person support to survivors during more than 156,800 visits; in addition, hazard mitigation specialists have counseled over 61,800 Puerto Rico residents on resilient repair and rebuilding techniques.
Once there is less of a need for in-person services FEMA works with the Government of Puerto Rico to close these temporary centers.
Disaster Survivor Assistance Crews
Recovery centers are just one of the many ways FEMA is supporting Puerto Rico survivors. More than 100 Disaster Survivor Assistance staff have canvassed the hardest hit areas to ensure all survivors get the help they need, and FEMA specialists routinely call applicants if additional information is needed from them.
DSA crews have interacted with more than 39,200 survivors, resulting in over 6,400 registered survivors and 13,200 others receiving case updates and whole community referrals.
Disaster Unemployment Assistance
Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is available to eligible survivors. DUA is a part of the federal disaster assistance process but is administered by the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources. More than $2.1M has been awarded, to-date. Claims must be filed by Nov. 30, Visit www.trabajo.pr.gov for more information.
Disaster Legal Services
Disaster Legal Services (DLS) is also available. Survivors can receive free legal assistance for certain disaster-related issues. This service is provided by the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association and Servicios Legales de Puerto Rico, in collaboration with FEMA, by calling the toll-free legal aid hotline at 1-800-981-5342, Monday to Friday (8 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Survivors can also contact them by email at info@ayudalegalpr.org.
Ensuring Equitable Accessible Communications in Puerto Rico
As of Nov. 2022, FEMA has 1,063 FEMA staff supporting the Fiona response: approximately 626 are residents of Puerto Rico and 62 percent are Spanish speakers.
Puerto Rico-based FEMA employees were transitioned to support Hurricane Fiona initial response.
FEMA has ensured the deaf and hard of hearing community has equal access by creating a reasonable accommodation process and providing in-person and virtual Puerto Rico Sign Language (PRSL) interpreters services.
Language interpretation services have been provided to assist survivors.
FEMA is also hiring even more Puerto Rico residents to assist with disaster response and recovery efforts as temporary employees. More than 200 positions were posted at USAJOBS.gov, and are already being filled.
Although the federal government cannot make you whole, it is part of the solution. Many entities are involved including local and state agencies, nonprofits, voluntary and faith-based organizations, and the private sector to assist in survivor recovery. Visit fema.gov/disaster/4671 to learn more about Puerto Rico’s recovery after Hurricane Fiona.
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FEMA’s mission is to help people before, during, and after disasters.
For more information on Puerto Rico’s recovery from Hurricane Fiona, please visit fema.gov/disaster/4671. Follow us on our Facebook.com/FEMAPuertoRico page, Twitter @FEMA, or @FEMAEspanol.
For preparedness information follow the Ready Campaign on Twitter at @Ready.gov, on Instagram @Ready.gov, or on the Ready Facebook page.
FEMA does not discriminate against individuals based on their race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, English proficiency, or economic status.
FEMA provides free services to help people communicate with us and understand FEMA programs. If you need a Puerto Rico Sign Language (PRSL) interpreter, American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter, or a spoken language interpreter to communicate with FEMA, please send an email to FEMA-PRaccesible@fema.dhs.gov to schedule a personal appointment. If you need help accessing a FEMA program or service, call FEMA at 1-833-285-7448 [Press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish, and 3 for the language line] or send an email to FEMA-CivilRightsOffice@fema.dhs.gov.
UPDATE (11/04/2022) - Washington DC - Our friends at FEMA recently provided us with some resources and updates.
UPDATE (10/28/2022) - Washington DC - Our friends at FEMA recently provided us with some resources and updates.
UPDATE (10/08/2022) - Trenton, New Jersey - Our friends at The Trenton Puerto Rican Community and Friends Organization presented NPRCC National Director of Operations, Joel Berrocal with a check for almost $4,500 to support our Disaster Relief efforts! This money will go a long way to support the agricultural sector of Puerto Rico. The TPRCFO Executive Committee had this to say:
On behalf of the executive committee of Trenton Puerto Rican Community and Friends Organization, we want to say THANK YOU to our community who showed up and in some way, shape or form contributed to a successful fundraiser. Today we made a check to The National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce of nearly $4,500 that will be included in their fundraising efforts to provide support to farmers in Puerto Rico who suffered damages from the impact of Hurricane Fiona.
We will continue to work closely with Joel Berrocal - National Director of Operations to provide an impact report of the funds you all helped raise. This is how we say ¡PRESENTE CON PUERTO RICO!
UPDATE (10/05/2022) - Louisville, Kentucky - Thanks to the hard work of Louisville-based NPRCC Ambassador, Ricardo Santiago, The National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce was able to help coordinate a shipment of medical supplies valued at over $30,000 to be shipped to a medical center in Puerto Rico.
The medical supplies were donated by our friends at SOS, a Louisville-based non-profit organization created to recover and redistribute surplus medical supplies to impoverished communities around the world. We also want to thank our friends at The UPS Foundation for generously agreeing to transport the shipment at no cost. #GrowPR
UPDATE (09/25/2022) - Trenton - The National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce would like to thank the Trenton Puerto Rican Community and Friends Organization, Casa Cultura, Los Hermanos Gonzalez, and the entire Trenton, New Jersey Puerto Rican community for a wonderful evening of music to support our continued Hurricane Fiona relief efforts.
UPDATE (09/24/2022) - Adjuntas, Puerto Rico - NPRCC Ambassador, DJ Lampitt joined a group of volunteers from our friends at Hunger Corp to help our friends at Puentes Naturales pick coffee on various farms in Adjuntas, Lares, and surrounding areas. DJ also shared an assessment of the current state of agriculture in Puerto Rico with the NPRCC team to help us better understand the impact Hurricane Fiona has had on Puerto Rico’s Agricultural Sector:
I’ve spent a few days in agricultural communities in Adjuntas and Lares and aiming to be in Salinas, Santa Isabel, Cabo Rojo, Lajas, Utuado, and more to get a strong sense of on-the-ground needs/intrinsic areas to focus on aid/support.
Right off the top - I worked with coffee farmers who typically have other crops that can be grown/harvested yearly or every 6 months since coffee plants take 5-6 years to properly grow anything harvestable. A lot of the crops were other trees like plantains, bananas, and larger fruit trees; which all are there to provide shade for the coffee plants. These trees either fell on the coffee trees and/or fell along the farmlands blocking roadways but even further were stuck in heavy flooding situations that essentially were “steamrolling” crops completely flat.
A lot of the farms we visited/assisted on harvesting and cleaning up had no initial data as to why or reasoning for certain crops and even further there was no proper infrastructure to mitigate floods, landslides, fallen trees, etc. Also, crop selection had no “plan” or rationale behind the placement and even had no informed growing conditions.
The National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce is currently working with various government entities and organizations in Puerto Rico and Washington DC to determine the best course of action for supporting Puerto Rico’s Agricultural Sector. We’ll continue to provide updates as these efforts begin to take shape.
UPDATE (09/23/2022) - Wahington DC - Our friends at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low-interest disaster loans to businesses and residents in Puerto Rico in response to the disaster declaration after Hurricane Fiona struck the island.
“SBA’s mission-driven team stands ready to help Puerto Rico small businesses and residents impacted by this disaster in every way possible under President Biden’s disaster declaration for certain affected areas,” said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas-Guzmán. “We’re committed to providing federal disaster loans swiftly and efficiently, with a customer-centric approach to help businesses and communities recover and rebuild.”
“With this declaration, we are now fully prepared to move forward to assist the people of Puerto Rico,” said Francisco Sanchez, Jr., Associate Administrator, Disaster Assistance.
“We have personnel already on the island staffing our Initial Operating Facility working diligently with our federal partners and the Commonwealth to urgently open disaster recovery centers,” he said.
The disaster declaration covers 58 municipalities, which are eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) from the SBA.
Small businesses and most private nonprofit organizations in Arecibo, Barceloneta, Camuy, Guanica, Hatillo, Las Marías, Loíza, Manatí, Mayagüez, Sabana Grande, San Germán, and San Sebastián are eligible to apply only for EIDLs, the agency stated.
Businesses and private nonprofit organizations of any size may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.
Disaster loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $40,000 to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed personal property.
Applicants that have an existing SBA disaster loan may apply under this declaration. Businesses and residents with previous SBA disaster loans and current applicants have up to two years from the date of their prior loan approval in which to request a loan increase for mitigation projects.
“The opportunity to include measures to help prevent future damage from occurring is a significant benefit of SBA’s disaster loan program,” said SBA Associate Administrator Francisco Sanchez, Jr. “I encourage everyone to consult their contractors and emergency management mitigation specialists for ideas and apply for an SBA disaster loan increase for funding.”
Interest rates are as low as 3.04% for businesses, 1.875% for nonprofit organizations, and 2.188% for homeowners and renters, with terms up to 30 years.
Applicants may apply online, but to be considered for all forms of disaster assistance, applicants should register online or download the FEMA mobile app.
The filing deadline for physical property damage applications is Nov. 21, 2022, while applicants for economic injury aid have until June 21, 2023, to file.
UPDATE (09/21/2022) Washington DC - The entire island has suffered the heaviest rainfall recorded in 123 years. More than 25 municipalities are severely flooded, and authorities are asking residents of low-lying areas to move to higher ground as very dangerous conditions persist.
According to the Puerto Rico Secretary of Agriculture, over 10,000 acres of plantains and other crops were destroyed by Fiona. Of that, less than 500 acres were insured. The loss could be potentially catastrophic to the farmers. Having this technology to estimate losses will expedite disaster declarations and help USDA set up intervention teams where needed, reducing time in damage assessments and field verification. The National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce (NPRCC) has been in communication with government officials in Washington DC, and Puerto Rico, along with Community Leaders on the ground to work on finding a solution to this issue. We will continue to provide updates as we receive more information.
Your continued support of our relief efforts will provide much-needed emergency relief to families living in these devastated areas. The NPRCC will make sure that only trusted, vetted community organizations working on the ground will get the funding they need to get the work done now and for the long term. We are a federally recognized 501(c)3 non-profit with a 10-year track record of local impact on the island and the US mainland.
UPDATE (09/21/2022) Philadelphia - The Puerto Rican Diaspora mobilizes to send aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona. Community and nonprofit leaders will spearhead a diaspora-born initiative to support Puerto Rico, in partnership with local organizations established on the island.
The coalition is made up of 40 CEO's and other community leaders in a joint effort to fund aid to Puerto Rico. Photo: Carlos Nogueras/AL DÍA News
Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha announced today, Sept. 21, a multi-nonprofit endeavor in tandem with community leaders to raise funds for Puerto Rico, which was recently lashed by Hurricane Fiona, just a day before Hurricane Maria’s five-year anniversary.
The collaborative is coined Unidos PA’PR, or Together for Puerto Rico, though the PA holds dual meaning. PA is short for para (for) in Spanish, as well as an acronym for Pennsylvania, to showcase the commonwealth’s response, and is led by 40 nonprofit organizations and community leaders.
Unidos PA’PR is also a revived effort stemming back to 2017, formed by former and current city Representatives in response to the devastating scene left by Hurricane Maria across the island’s entirety, on Sept. 20.
“I’ve had a lot of interviews during the week, and the biggest concern for people, and what I learned during Hurricane Maria, is that it’s difficult giving out money (...) Who do you give it to?” said APM CEO Nilda Ruiz, who is herself Puerto Rican.
“There’s a lot of distrust of agencies. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people that take advantage of a bad situation,” she added, alluding to the fundraising efforts in 2017 that resulted in tens of thousands of palettes filled with water boxes, as well as a warehouse full of supplies, unused for over a year.
The group’s fundraising enterprise will be governed by 40 nonprofit CEOs, who, according to Ruiz, will ensure complete transparency surrounding its fiscal affairs. To that end, Ruiz enjoined Philadelphia’s Puerto Rican diaspora to forward donations to a pre-set line or website, which will in turn be awarded to local partners on the ground.
Puerto Rico’s government carries a lingering, questionable reputation when it comes to funding redirection. Maria’s unprecedented force left the Puerto Rican government scrambling for a response strategy, a legacy that reverberates with Fiona.
“The beautiful thing about what we did last time is that we weren’t just focused on big entities in Puerto Rico. We were literally connecting with fishermen and local churches, and people who needed the exact money (...) and that’s what we’re here for,” said Adonis Banegas, CEO of Concilio.
“One of the things we learned last time is that this is not a short-term effort. When we came together last time, we were together for almost two years after Hurricane Maria happened,” he continued, adding the group’s shared disposition to provide ongoing support, as long as its necessary, according to Banegas.
Although no names were shared during the conference, Ruiz told AL DÍA the collective would leverage repeat partnerships from the post-Maria period to channel funding.
UPDATE (09/19/2022) - Washington DC - The National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce (NPRCC) is closely monitoring the situation in Puerto Rico. While we believe the worst of the storm has passed, the strong winds remain, and the situation is far from being over. We are currently communicating with our network of community leaders and non-profit organizations in Puerto Rico to assess the areas of greatest need. Understandably, it will likely take weeks to comprehend the full scope of Hurricane Fiona’s damage fully.
If you know of any particular area of need or know of any relief work being done by non-profits, we want to hear from you. Please contact us at info@nprchamber.org. The NPRCC has begun to mobilize in the US Mainland. We are our vast network of members, partners, community leaders, and politicians who stand ready to support Puerto Rico’s recovery through fundraising and advocacy efforts.
We feel at this point in time the most impactful way to support our efforts is through monetary donations, while we wait to see the full scope of the situation. The NPRCC is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, so your donation is 100% tax deductible. We also pride ourselves in accountability, so 100% of the funds raised will benefit the work being done in Puerto Rico by our network of trusted and vetted allies. Use the links below to make a donation and see our list of vetted organizations we work with in Puerto Rico.
Resources provided to earthquake victims, via our friends at Project Arriba.
**LATEST CRISIS UPDATE** Over the last decade, Puerto Rico has been ravaged by an economic depression, devastating hurricanes a couple of short years ago, and disastrous earthquakes throughout the beginning of 2020. Now, on top of it all, Puerto Rico is suffering from an unprecedented full-scale lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Rest assured, the island will be impacted more than any other location in the U.S. But also rest assured, we are a resilient and resourceful people who always find a way back . . . Despite that resiliency and dedication, we are doing our best to help support our neighbors, brothers, and sisters in Puerto Rico. If you can assist, your fellow Americans will be very grateful for any and all assistance as we survive and eventually face recovery!
Earthquake emergency update: After sending many dozens of boxes of goods such as lamps, batteries, food, clothing, and medicine, we have also partnered with several small, ad hoc local church and other community groups to increase our “on the ground” outreach (see pics below or visit our Facebook page). In one case, they were able to distribute more than two dozen tents and dozens of solar powered fans to help families who are unable to sleep in their homes. In another, we partnered with a small medical team of doctors, nurses, and therapists to organize and distribute needed medicines. This week our biggest need is for Glucerna-type products to help supplement the nutritional needs of our diabetic neighbors on the island. Many companies, governmental orgs, and large non-profits have offered support, but we can use all of the help we can to provide for this basic healthcare need!
**Week of Jan 24th: An incredible show of love for the people of the southern part of Puerto Rico has been provided by the entire island and Americans across the country! If there is any beauty that comes from these disasters is it that resolve and dedication to helping our fellow man! We are currently helping organize efforts, purchase supplies, and provide as much relief assistance as possible to those in need! The individuals and families we have supported are incredibly grateful for all of your support!
Thank you!
Our bAhamian Brothers and sisters are in need. . .
***September 17, 2019 UPDATE***
The outer islands of the Bahamas will likely suffer from shortages of food, clothing, and health resources, along with a lack of communication for some time. Given the difficulty of travel and transportation, along with the magnitude of devastation in many areas, relief efforts are slow and are expected to be slow for some time. For our small part, we have sent satellite phones and solar chargers to create communication points and distribution channels for supplies. Every little bit seems to make a big difference in individual lives. Thank you for your support.
***September 9, 2019 update***
We were able to speak with a member of the Bahamian parliament and long-time friend of our executive director, whose son and grandchildren lost EVERYTHING in Abaco (see picture). Just like after Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico or other areas in the U.S., communities are coming together to help their fellow man. Many are choosing to or are forced to emigrate to the U.S., others are relying upon the welfare and aid of benevolent contributors like you, the rest are doing what they can to help. The devastation is tremendous and there will be much to do for a long time to come. We have created a distribution channel and will begin funneling and directing necessary aid/supplies in the coming days, in addition to what we've already sent! Thank you for all of your help and prayers!
***early SEPTEMBER 2019, DORIAN UPDATE***
Fortunately for Puerto Rico, the island was spared the brunt of Hurricane Dorian. While we still have a long way to go to recover from storm damage, our brethren in the Bahamas were hit harder than almost any hurricane in modern history. Much like in the aftermath of Maria, the Bahamian people will suffer from lack of access to communications, healthcare, shelter, food, medical supplies, and more. Since we’ve all been there and know the immense impact that such a natural disaster can have on families for years, we’re diverting our resources to our brothers and sisters in the Bahamas. We already have satellite phones that we plan to send, and can offer LifeStraws for safe drinking water and more. Given our close relationship with leaders in the Bahamian government and our previous logistical support from the U.S. Coast Guard, we hope to be able to move quickly and help as many as we can.
But, of course, we can do more with your help! If you are willing to contribute, keep in mind that, just like we did for our own in Puerto Rico after Maria, every penny will go directly to Bahamian aid. We will start with communications, as communications access is crucial to receiving necessary emergency healthcare, other help/aid, finding supplies such as clean water and medicine, and connecting with loved ones. To do so, it requires a significant amount of funds, but we are willing to sacrifice if you are. Please chip in a few dollars to help us help the Bahamian people!
iMil gracias!
***NPRChamber is an IRS designated 501(c)3 charitable organization.***
Post-Hurricane Maria updates:
To date, your donations have put roofs on the homes of those still recovering, provided medicine and medical equipment to those in need, as well as educational scholarships to youth (as well as supplies to teachers) who have experienced multiple setbacks due to hurricanes and the resulting economic crisis in Puerto Rico.
2019 UPDATE: While many homes still have structural damage from hurricanes in 2017, today our focus is on helping households (especially those with elderly and small children) to recover well and rebuild their lives.
Though the economy is recovering better than anticipated, re-development in smaller businesses (e.g. mom and pop shops, small farmers, service providers, etc.) lags significantly, leaving too many without the means to recover and prepare as they need. Will you consider helping us to provide materials for roofs and to improve household structures, stocks of medicine, and scholarships to our youth who need better educational opportunities? You are guaranteed to improve the lives of many . . .
VIDEO: Some of NPRChamber’s disaster assistance efforts since last year.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by last year's hurricanes in Puerto Rico. Many, many individuals and families continue to reach out to us for help on a daily basis! Whether it's a request for medicines, new furniture, clothing, roofs, school supplies, or generators for required medical equipment, the needs are abundant and we want to continue being there to offer help in any way we can, so that no life is unnecesarily lost during this year's storm season.
Despite the overwhelming number of requests, we are amazed by the number of people willing to volunteer and personally carry much-needed supplies to the island, week after week after week!
While there are a lot of ways to help the recovery efforts in Puerto Rico - whether with your time, hard-earned cash, or thoughts and prayers - our generous supporters have continued to offer to match every dollar raised through our site, while some retailers and manufacturers have also offered to double our orders, effectively quadrupling a dollar's impact through our fund! To ensure we have the most efficient operation, we're still sending supplies via volunteers who have offered to travel to the door of those in need, or direct via the postal service. This way we can rest assured that we are helping those who need it the most.
We appreciate anything you can offer more than we can ever say. It will take a long time to recover, but we are encouraged by the tremendous love and support we have already witnessed and experienced and are certain we will only be stronger in the end!
iMil gracias!
Thank you!
***NPRChamber is an IRS designated 501(c)3 charitable organization.***
Request latest "donor letter," for a detailed list of our efforts (i.e. where your $$$ goes!)
