Federal Emergency Management Agency officials insist the agency's response to Hurricane Fiona will be much better than that following Hurricane Maria five years ago, The Washington Post reported.
Nearly 3,000 people died as a result of Hurricane Maria hitting Puerto Rico in September 2017.
The New York Times reported in July 2018 that a FEMA report said the agency had been unprepared for a hurricane in Puerto Rico, underestimating how much food and water it would need, and how hard it would be to get supplies to the island.
Hurricane Fiona strengthened into a Category 4 storm Wednesday after causing at least four direct deaths in its march through the Caribbean, where it unleashed torrential rain in Puerto Rico, leaving a majority without power or water as hundreds of thousands of people scraped mud out of their homes following what authorities described as "historic" flooding.
FEMA officials insist the agency is prepared to assist Puerto Rico.
"We are much better positioned today than we were before Maria," Keith Turi, FEMA's assistant administrator for recovery, told the Post.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell visited Puerto Rico on Tuesday and said the agency plans to send hundreds of additional staffers to help with the recovery.
"Our partnership with the Government of Puerto Rico has never been stronger and we remain committed to helping them respond to and recover from Hurricane Fiona," she said in a statement.
Officials said at least four people have died in Puerto Rico as a result of the storm, but have warned that the toll could rise once emergency workers are able to assess the full scope of the damage, the Post said.
Many Puerto Ricans, still struggling to rebuild after Maria, are skeptical of the government's ability to help, the newspaper said. Billions of dollars in promised federal relief funds after Maria still have not been disbursed.
President Joe Biden on Sunday approved an emergency declaration for Puerto Rico, where officials on Tuesday said they expected the president to upgrade it to a major disaster declaration, which would mean more federal resources for response and recovery.
"Biden promised to give our request expedited attention," said Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi, of the New Progressive Party.
Pierluisi added that the damage is "catastrophic," especially in the southern and central regions.
"The havoc caused by Hurricane Fiona has been devastating for a lot of people," Pierluisi said, the Post reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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