Florida stands ready to support its close neighbor of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria caused widespread devastation to the island last week.
Gov. Rick Scott notified the Florida National Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission to be on standby for deployment after the Puerto Rican government sent out an official request for assistance following the monster storm.
The governor is also pushing Florida state colleges and universities to allow students displaced by Maria to receive in-state tuition, which is a fraction of the cost of regular tuition rates.
“We know how important it is to share resources with our friends and neighbors during these times, and I was able to speak with Governor Rossello last week to tell him that Florida will provide whatever resources are needed to help families in Puerto Rico rebuild,” Scott said in a statement Tuesday.
Hurricane Maria made landfall as a Category 4 storm, with wind speeds in many places exceeding 100 miles per hour.
Puerto Rico will need all the help it can get -- Maria was the worst storm to strike the island since 1928.
The American territory was woefully unprepared for the havoc of Hurricane Maria which knocked out power for the entire island’s 3.5 million people and caused widespread damage from debris and rubble whipped up during the storm.
Puerto Rico had already been ravaged by Hurricane Irma, another massive storm which sped through the Caribbean island before making landfall in the Sunshine State earlier this month.
Approximately 80,000 people were already without power by the time Maria and the country’s power company, Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA), has been riddled with financial difficulties, struggling with increasing debt which reached $9 billion before either Irma or Maria hit.
According to reports at the end of last week, it will take three to four months for power to be fully restored in Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rican Gov. Ricardo A. Rosselló said Monday that the island was on the brink of a "humanitarian crisis," and called for Congress to send aid immediately to help prevent further devastation.
“Puerto Rico, which is part of the United States, can turn into a humanitarian crisis,” Rosselló said. “To avoid that, recognize that we Puerto Ricans are American citizens; when we speak of a catastrophe, everyone must be treated equally.”
Scott said Florida was fully with Puerto Rico both in thought and now in action.
“The heartbreak that our friends in Puerto Rico are enduring following this devastating storm is unimaginable and our prayers are with every family who calls this beautiful island their home,” Scott said.
Gov. Scott isn’t the only Florida politician trying to lend a helping hand to Puerto Ricans in their time of crisis -- U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., visited the country on Monday to survey damage from the storm, bolstering his push for federal assistance as Puerto Rico attempts to recover from Maria.
“[The goal should be] to rebuild Puerto Rico stronger than ever,” Rubio said at a bilingual press conference Monday afternoon. “These aren’t normal times. This is a crisis.”
Rubio teamed up with fellow Florida U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson to pen a letter to President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, asking the two men for federal assistance to help Puerto Rico get back on its feet following the storm.
“It is important that the federal government stands ready to assist in the difficult days after Hurricane Maria passes, when hope must be available to combat despair,” Rubio and Nelson wrote.
Florida Democratic U.S. Rep. Darren Soto also wrote a letter to President Trump this week, calling for more funds to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to help residents recover from the storm.
Several Florida congressmen -- including U.S. Reps. Carlos Curbelo, Mario Diaz-Balart, Stephanie Murphy and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, added their signatures to the letter as well.
“While still recovering from Hurricane Irma, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands were devastated by Hurricane Maria,” the representatives wrote. “We anticipate continued devastation due to the widespread flooding and complete destruction of the current infrastructure. Therefore, we urge your continued support in the aftermath of this dangerous storm.”
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
