Scott declares state of emergency to aid Puerto Rico

Relief centers to open at OIA and in Miami

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in every Florida county Monday to help the state provide services to Puerto Ricans fleeing the devastation of Hurricane Maria.

In addition, Scott announced disaster relief centers will be set up at Orlando International Airport and in Miami to help those seeking refuge in the Sunshine State.

“Puerto Rico is absolutely devastated, and so many families have lost everything,” Scott said in a statement. “Our goal is to make sure that while [Puerto Rican] Governor [Ricardo] Rosselló is working to rebuild Puerto Rico, any families displaced by Maria that come to Florida are welcomed and offered every available resource from the state.”

The relief center at OIA, and two others at Miami International Airport and the Port of Miami, will open today, according to a news release from Scott’s office.

“These Disaster Relief Centers will help Puerto Ricans coming into Florida get matched with all the available state resources they may need and ensure that as families come into Florida, they are given the tools they need to work and provide their children with a great education,” Scott stated.

But the relief center at Orlando

International, which will be set up in the A Terminal, won’t directly provide resources to those seeking help.

State agencies such as the Department of Health and the Department of Children and Families, along with charities such as the American Red Cross and United Way, will connect those in need with shelter, food and water. Arrivals from Puerto Rico won’t be able to stay at the relief center, airport spokeswoman Carolyn Fennell said.

“At this point, there is the unknown of how many people or what will be needed, so it is a starting point,” Fennell said. “It’s merely a reception point to say, ‘Here’s what you can look for’ or ‘What do you need?’ ”

Fennell said the center would be open at 11 a.m. today, when the first plane from Puerto Rico is expected to arrive.

Scott’s emergency order allows state officials to waive regulations as needed to help Puerto Ricans and could help bring more federal funding to help the state cope with aid efforts.

It also prohibits price gouging, allows emergency shelters to be opened, directs surplus funds to be used for recovery efforts and allows pharmacists to dispense 30-day supplies of medicine to evacuees.

Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico on Sept. 20 as a Category 4 storm, wreaking destruction across the island and knocking out power and water. Most of the island remained without electricity and potable water 12 days later.

State lawmakers have said they expect at least 100,000 Puerto Ricans to flee to Florida because of Maria. They have said the state will have to step up efforts to provide affordable housing, education and job opportunities to new arrivals.

Rep. Bob Cortes, R-Altamonte Springs, sent a letter to the Department of Education on Monday asking the agency to waive penalties for districts that break class size caps because of Puerto Rican students expected to be added to school rosters.

“It is extremely important for Florida to be prepared for a large number of evacuees from Puerto Rico,” Cortes said. “So many Puerto Rican families have literally lost everything, and we must stand ready to do everything possible to help their children transition as seamlessly as possible to a new school and learning environment.”

Cortes also requested birth certificate requirements for day-care centers be waived temporarily for Puerto Ricans whose documents may have been destroyed during the storm.

State Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, said the Legislature should hold a special session, because he estimates hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans are coming to Florida. The 2018 regular session starts in January. “FL needs 2 deal w/humanitarian crisis + over 100K Boricuas who’ll seek refuge here right now, not in Jan.,” Smith tweeted.

Local leaders have also been looking for ways to accommodate the expected influx of Puerto Ricans. Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs said Friday she was working with Osceola County to set up a relief center.