Trump Boosts Disaster Aid for Puerto Rico Rebuild

Trump Boosts Disaster Aid for Puerto Rico Rebuild
Workers of Puerto Rico's Electric Power Authority (PREPA) repair part of the electrical grid after Hurricane Maria hit the area in September, in Manati, Puerto Rico on Oct. 30, 2017. REUTERS/Alvin Baez
Reuters
Updated:

WASHINGTON—U.S. President Donald Trump on Nov. 2 agreed to expand the use of disaster aid to help rebuild Puerto Rico’s power grid and other infrastructure wrecked by Hurricane Maria, the White House said.

In a unique agreement recognizing both the massive devastation on the island and its dire financial problems, aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for infrastructure projects will be released in a faster, more flexible way than is typical after disasters, a senior White House official told Reuters.