WASHINGTON, Sept 18 (KUNA) -- US President Joe Biden declared on Sunday morning "emergency exists" in Puerto Rico, and ordered Federal assistance and local response efforts due to Hurricane Fiona.
"The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population," the White House said in a statement.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) upgraded earlier today Fiona to a hurricane, warning that it "could produce storm surge flooding of one to three feet above normally dry ground along the eastern and southern coast of Puerto Rico and the islands of Vieques and Culebra," according to a NHC statement.
It noted that Hurricane Fiona "could produce 12-16 inches of rain, possibly up to 25 inches, over portions of Puerto Rico." "These rains will pose an extreme life-threatening flooding risk, especially over southern and eastern portions of the island," the NHC added.
According to PowerOutage.us, over 460,000 customers are without power in Puerto Rico. (end) si.gb