Small communities lag cities in uneven recovery

“It’s like the hurricane hit yesterday. Everything that was promised never arrived.” Antonio Torres, head of the fishermen’s association in Punta Santiago

The fishing pier jutting off the beach in this small fishing community was once the hub of local activity. Today, it sits in splinters. ❚ Blue tarps cover rows of roofs on nearby concrete homes and the beachside fish shack, which just a year ago served fresh-caught fried snapper sandwiches, is shuttered. ❚ “It’s like the hurricane hit yesterday,” said Antonio Torres, head of the local fishermen’s association. “Everything that was promised never arrived.”

A year after Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico, federal disaster coordinators point to the billions of dollars in disaster relief funds and expertise that has spread through the island, helping to patch thousands of roofs, reopen businesses and restore power to all corners of the island. Last month, President Donald Trump called recovery efforts in Puerto Rico an “incredible unsung success” and said it was “one of the best jobs that’s ever been done.” But places such as Punta Santiago, and nearby Humacao, which bore the brunt of the Category 4 storm when it roared ashore here on Sept. 20, 2017, underscore the uneven pace of recovery in Puerto Rico. While San Juan, Ponce and other large cities have seen a much quicker recovery, bolstered by federal funds and greater international focus, hundreds of residents in Punta Santiago still live in storm-battered homes and have relied largely on volunteer groups and local churches to help them pick up the pieces. “The recovery in Punta Santiago has been very, very slow,” said Alexandra Arroyo, a coordinator with Proyecto P.E.C.E.S., a local nonprofit group. “These people still need help.” The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved more than 460,000 applications and more than $1.4 billion in direct individual and household assistance funds in Puerto Rico, marking one of the largest post-disaster efforts ever undertaken by the agency. But more than 600,000 other applicants were denied because they didn’t have proper deeds to their homes – a widespread problem in Puerto Rico – or other factors, according to FEMA statistics. This year, the agency adjusted the requirements to ensure more applicants gain access to the funds, said Mike Byrne, FEMA’s federal coordinator in Puerto Rico. Overall, the commonwealth government estimates it will take $139 billion, including $33 billion for housing, to rebuild Puerto Rico. “It’s a constant challenge,” Byrne said. “I have responsibilities to make sure we get assistance for every survivor. We also have a responsibility it’s done in a way that protects taxpayer investment here.” FEMA’s distribution of public assistance grants – used for cleaning up debris and repairing bridges, roads and municipal buildings – has also been frustratingly slow, said Omar Marrero, executive director of the Puerto Rico Central Recovery and Reconstruction Office. As of Aug. 31, FEMA had only dispersed about 45 percent of the funds – emergency money that is usually distributed within the first few months of a disaster, Marrero said. With public assistance dollars still trickling out, communities can’t shift their focus to longterm rebuilding, such as repairing Punta Santiago’s pier, he said. Residents continue living with water cascading into their living rooms during rainstorms, while they wait for FEMA to process their appeals. “Anyone who believes that the federal government has done a great job in Puerto Rico, I invite them to visit Punta Santiago,” Arroyo said.

RICK JERVIS/USA TODAY Children fish from the remnants of the hurricane-ravaged fishing pier in Punta Santiago, Puerto Rico, which was once a hub of activity.