NPR

FEMA Report Acknowledges Failures In Puerto Rico Disaster Response

Problems included a lack of key supplies on Puerto Rico before the storm, unqualified staff and challenges with delivering emergency supplies, according to the internal report.
U.S. Army soldiers pass out water, provided by FEMA, to residents in a neighborhood without grid electricity or running water in San Isidro, Puerto Rico, on Oct. 17, 2017.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency failed to properly prepare for last year's hurricane season and was unable to provide adequate support to hurricane victims in Puerto Rico and other areas, an internal report released by the agency concluded.

The report found Puerto Rico's emergency-supply warehouses were nearly empty when Hurricane Maria hit in October, without things like cots or tarps, because many

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