President Joe Biden arrived in Puerto Rico on Monday to survey the damage from Hurricane Fiona and announce more than $60 million in additional funding to help the U.S. territory prepare for future storms, which are only expected to become stronger and more frequent with climate change.
“Somehow the people of Puerto Rico keep getting back up with resilience and determination,” Biden said in Ponce, which was pummeled by more than 30 inches of rain when the storm hit in mid-September. “We’re going to make sure you get every single dollar promised.”
Hurricane Fiona knocked out 100% of the power on Puerto Rico and brought the island its worst flooding since the devastating Hurricane Maria in 2017. While most people have regained power, more than 137,000 others are still in the dark, and 66,000 are still without water.
The $60 million in additional funding Biden announced Monday will be put toward shoring up levees, strengthening flood walls and creating a new flood warning…
