Puerto Rico Building Back Stronger and More Resilient Following Devastation of 2017 Hurricanes

Over about the past year and a half, Puerto Rico has made significant progress as part of its long-term recovery strategy to make the island’s infrastructure and communities more capable of withstanding events like Hurricanes Maria and Irene. One of the projects, which is still underway, entails repairs to a Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority water testing facility that was damaged in Hurricane Maria. The structure will be repaired to modern building codes so it can better withstand hurricanes and other extreme weather events. In the electric sector, the focus has turned to updating the grid now that electricity distribution has been stabilized. The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, the Government of Puerto Rico, and federal partners are drafting a masterplan to modernize the grid to current standards with the support of FEMA funds. These are just some of the many efforts that have been envisioned and that are being executed, with others focusing on improving Puerto Ricos’ alert and warning system, creating regional emergency operations plans, and providing assistance to individuals and households. Read the full article at Domestic Preparedness.