President Joe Biden on Sunday approved Puerto Rico’s emergency declaration as Fiona strengthened into a hurricane.
“The President’s action authorizes FEMA to coordinate all disaster relief efforts to alleviate the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population and to provide appropriate assistance, to save lives, to protect property, public health and safety and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in all 78 municipalities in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico,” said the declaration.
Hurricane Fiona, a Category 1 storm, strengthened to become a hurricane on Sunday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
“Heavy rains from Fiona will continue across Puerto Rico through tonight and occur over the Dominican Republic later today into Monday,” NWS said in an update. “These rainfall amounts will produce life-threatening flash floods and urban flooding across Puerto Rico and portions of the eastern Dominican Republic, along with mudslides and landslides in areas of higher terrain.”…