Gov. Rick Scott Declares State Of Emergency As 100,000s Of Puerto Ricans Flee To Florida
2
October, 2017
As
mayors of cities with large Puerto Rican populations continue to
advocate for federal assistance to
help with the resettlement of hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans
who are expected to temporarily seek shelter with friends and
families in the US, Florida Gov. Rick Scott has declared a state of
emergency in Florida, allowing state agencies to take extraordinary
measures to assist families that will soon be arriving in droves to
cities like Orlando and Miami, both of which feature large Puerto
Rican populations.
The Orlando
Sentinel reports
that Scott announced that disaster relief centers will be set up at
Orlando International Airport and in Miami to help those seeking
refuge in Florida.
“Puerto
Rico is absolutely devastated and so many families have lost
everything,” Scott said in a released statement. “Our goal is to
make sure that while [Puerto Rican] Governor [Ricardo] Rosselló is
working to rebuild Puerto Rico, any families displaced by Maria that
come to Florida are welcomed and offered every available resource
from the state.”
ICYMI: "Gov. Scott to Deploy All Available Resources and Personnel to Puerto Rico" http://bit.ly/2fLtS58
@WFTV
The
relief center at OIA, and two others at Miami International Airport
and the Port of Miami, open Tuesday, according to a release from
Scott’s office, just days after Puerto Rican airports reopened
following the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria.
“These
Disaster Relief Centers will help Puerto Ricans coming into Florida
get matched with all the available state resources they may need and
ensure that as families come into Florida, they are given the tools
they need to work and provide their children with a great education,”
Scott stated.
Scott’s
emergency order will allow state agencies braod autonomy to waive
regulations and do whatever is necessary to help Puerto Ricans.
Importantly, it could also help bring more federal funding to help
the state cope with aid efforts.
Hurricane
Maria hit Puerto Rico on Sept. 20 as a Category 4 storm, wreaking
destruction across the island and knocking out power and water. Most
of the island remains without electricity and potable water 12 days
after the storm hit.
State
lawmakers have said they expect at least 100,000 Puerto Ricans to
flee to Florida because of Maria, forcing the state to step up its
education, housing and job-placement offerings. It's expected that
some of those displaced by the storm could resettle permanently, as
the reconstruction effort in Puerto Rico is expected to take months,
if not years.
State
Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, said the Legislature should
hold a special session, as he estimates hundreds of thousands of
Puerto Ricans are coming to Florida. The 2018 regular session starts
in January.
“FL
needs 2 deal w/humanitarian crisis + over 100K Boricuas who'll seek
refuge here right now, not in Jan.,” he tweeted.
Ready or not, 100s of thousands of Puerto Ricans are coming to FL. We need a special session to prepare to deal w/this! #Sayfie
We
now wait to hear from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City
Mayor Bill De Blasio. NYC officials have said more than 100,000
Puerto Ricans could arrive in NYC alone.
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