US President Joe Biden promised Puerto Rican Governor Pedro Pierluisi on Monday that more federal agents will arrive on the island in the coming days to help local authorities deal with the impact of Hurricane Fiona.
More than 300 federal agents are already working in Puerto Rico in rescue efforts and in the coming days, as the damage assessment progresses, the support staff will be increased "substantial"Biden told Pierluisi in a phone conversation.
Both spoke during Biden’s return trip on the Air Force One presidential plane to the United States after attending the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, who died on September 8, in London.
The Democratic president told the governor that he will ensure that the federal team does its job, especially considering that Puerto Rico is still recovering from the damage caused five years ago by Hurricane Maria, which devastated the island and razed its entire power line. electric.
The White House noted in a statement that Pierluisi thanked him for the help provided, as part of which the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Deanne Criswell, will travel there to address the most urgent needs with state and local authorities.
Hurricane Fiona, category 1, made landfall this Sunday in southwestern Puerto Rico and its maximum sustained winds of 140 kilometers per hour (85 miles), along with its heavy rains, caused a general blackout, severe flooding and damage classified as "catastrophic".
