US President Pledges to Increase Federal Support for Puerto Rico following Hurricane Fiona

Washington, September 20 (QNA) - US President Joe Biden pledged on Monday to bolster federal support for Puerto Rico, after Hurricane Fiona caused flooding and cut off power to over a million people.
In a phone call with Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi, Biden said that the number of support personnel on the island will increase significantly to assist in response and recovery efforts, according to the White House.
Later in the day, Administrator of the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Deanne Criswell is scheduled to travel to Puerto Rico to assess the urgent needs of the territory in the wake of the hurricane.
Hurricane Fiona made landfall on Sunday, causing damage to infrastructures and buildings, as well as cutting off electricity for about 1.3 million people.
In over two days, Ponce, Puerto Rico's second largest city, received more than 30 inches of rain, according to a gauge operated by the US Geological Survey.
The US National Hurricane Center said that heavy rain is expected to continue in Puerto Rico into the evening, and across the eastern Dominican Republic through the night. Meteorologists have warned that the rains could cause life-threatening and catastrophic flooding, as well as mudslides and landslides across the region.
The island had previously suffered from two devastating hurricanes 'Irma' and 'Maria' in 2017, which caused thousands of deaths. (QNA)