Remarks by President Biden on Hurricane Fiona Response and Recovery Efforts
OCTOBER 03, 2022
Location: Ponce, Puerto Rico

3:14 P.M. AST

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Well, my name is Joe Biden, and I don’t want the headline to read “Biden Brings Storm to Puerto Rico.”  (Laughter.)  So, I don’t — I’m going to maybe have to cut this a little short. 

Let me start off by saying that Jill and I — and thank you very much for that lovely introduction.  Jill and I are — we’re anxious to be here.  You know, we — I come from a little state — the little state of Delaware.  It’s not like the congresswoman from New York; she’s from a big state. 

But we have a very, in relative terms, large Puerto Rican population in Delaware — relative to our population.  We have the eighth-largest Black population in the country.  And between all minorities, we have 20 percent of our state is minority. 

And so I — I was sort of raised in the Puerto Rican community at home, politically.  And so, we — and we came here for a long time, both for business and pleasure, since you’re part of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and Delaware is as well.  And I was chairman of the Judiciary Committee.  I spent a lot of time in the northern part of the state. 

But, look, it’s people like you who — who do so much for your community and are going to make such a big difference as Puerto Rico rebuilds. 

Thank you, Governor, for your partnership as we work together to help rebuild Puerto Rico.  And I mean rebuild it all and rebuild it in a resilient way so you don’t — when the storms come again, which they will, they’re not having the damage they caused before.  (Applause.)

And I want to thank the members of Congress and local officials, community leaders that have joined us today.

Ever since the hurricane struck, Jill and I have had people in Puerto Rico on our minds and in our prayers.  We came here in person to show that we’re with you.  Amer- — all of America is with you as you receive and recover and rebuild. 

I’m confident to — I’m confident we’re going to be able to do all you want, Governor, and I’m committed to this island. 

Puerto Rico has been through so much in recent years: Hurricane Maria five years ago; a 6.4 magnitude earthquake two years ago.  Folks slept outside for days worried about their homes would collapse on them if they went in.  Then, COVID-19.  And then, Fiona. 

And yes, Puerto Rico is a strong place, and Puerto Ricans are strong people.  But even so, you have had to bear so much and more than need be, and you haven’t gotten the help in a timely way. 

And this latest storm dealt a serious blow to all — all the hard work the la- — that have been done since Maria.  Roads and bridges built out after Maria have been washed away again.  Families who spent their savings to build new homes after losing their last ones have seen them flooded away.  Crops decimated.  Farms destroyed.  Here in Ponce and communities nearby have hit — they’ve been hit the hardest. 

And in days — for days, people — people live without power, without water.  Some still in that circumstance — no idea when it’ll be back again.

And for everyone — everyone who survived Maria, Fiona, it must have been an all-too-familiar nightmare. 

You know better than anyone that, over time, these losses add up.  And so, Puerto Ricans have lost loved ones in the storm and in the perilous disasters. 

And the number — the number can feel abstract sometimes when you hear a number, but every number is a person.  Every life lived.  We read the obituaries and remembrances, and they all feel like people we knew: doting grandparents, devoted parents, christened [cherished] children, longtime neighbors — people who cared about their community and made a difference.  And they will not be forgotten. 

And then, through these disasters, so many people have been displaced from their homes, lost their jobs and savings, or suffered injuries — often unseen, but many times seen.

Yet somehow, the people of Puerto Rico keep getting back up with resilience and determination.  Quite frankly, it’s pretty extraordinary, when you look at it from afar.  And you deserve every bit of help your country can give you. 

That’s what I’m determined to do, and that’s what I promise you.

After Maria, Congress approved billions of dollars for Puerto Rico, much of it not having gotten here initially.  We’re going to make sure you get every single dollar promised.  And I’m determined to help Puerto Rico build faster than in the past and stronger and better prepared for the future. 

And that’s why I approved the emergency declaration in Puerto Rico before the hurricane — Governor, you remember my calling you — before the hurricane made landfall, to deliver immediate federal funding to shelter people and provide a sense of support.

Just a few days later, I approved an expedited major disaster declaration.  That means the federal government will cover 100 percent of the cost to clear degris [sic] — debris and carry out search and rescue and continue to shelter people.

It also means homeowners, renters, business owners are eligible to apply for federal help to recover damage, losses caused by Hurricane Fiona.

The federal government is going to provide individual assistance for up to $37,900 for essential home repairs and another $37,900 for lost property, as the law calls for, like a car or a refrigerator.

Additionally, we’ve deployed more than 1,200 personnel from FEMA, the Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency.  They include search and rescue teams to assist survivors and power restoration experts.

Power is now back, as you pointed out, Governor, 92 percent — 92 percent of the island, and water is back in 95 percent of the island, thanks in part to the dedicated IBEW workers and federal support staff.  And now we have to get to 100 percent.

And here at this facility, you can see some of the generators from FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers that we’re transporting to places that still don’t have power.  Here — here, they’re loaded onto trucks and brought to locations in hospitals and shelters, paired with fuel trucks so generators can be gassed up on site.

My administration is also providing financial assistance to help families and individuals right away.  Many families are scrambling to pay their bills right now, to fill up their gas tank, to put food on the table.  They can register at FEMA [for] cash assistance for 700 bucks to help cover the essentials for just a little while.

So far, nearly 200,000 households across Puerto Rico have received this cash assistance.  Seven hundred dollars won’t replace what you lost — not even close — but it can help take care of some of the little basics while you — while you catch your breath and get back on your feet.

And FEMA has made crisis counselors available when you’re — whether you’re a survivor or a first responder.  If you need help or just someone to talk to, people are here for you. 

The hotline number is 800 — 800-981-0023.  I’ll say it again: 800-981-0023. 

Don’t be embarrassed to call.  Whether you’re Spanish- or English-speaking, counselors will be standing by to help you.

And in times like these, Americans come together, and I’m grateful for our personnel at FEMA and other agencies for the hard work these past few weeks.  Many of our FEMA staff, as been pointed out, are from Puerto Rico or are Puerto Rican.  They’ve been working 24/7 to get help to people across the island while also scrambling to help their own families and neighbors.

I want to recognize the local first responders, including Puerto Rican National Guard who have been working around the clock — and I mean it, literally — around the clock.  (Applause.)  They’ve been through a lot the past five years. 

I want to applaud the Red Cross volunteers who came as far — from as far away as California, Louisiana, Minnesota, Texas, to help however they can.  And New York sent not only a congresswoman — (inaudible) congresswoman in the Congress, but state troopers and emergency responders.

I don’t think you’re going to be staying the whole time, are you?

Anyway, all kidding aside, New Jersey sent their All-Hazards Incident Management Teams trained for hurricane responses.  These states are home to two of the largest Puerto Rican populations in the United States — New York and New Jersey.  And their sisters and brothers in Puerto Rico needed them, and they answered the call.