“The United States stands ready to work with you and our international partners to provide immediate disaster relief,” said US Department of States spokesperson Heather Nauert in a statement.
“We are in the process of coordinating the best possible package of assistance,” she added. “The recent natural disasters underscore our interconnectedness and the importance of strong partnership with the Caribbean.”
Nauert said the Department of State has an ongoing Task Force working to determine the extent of the damages, to coordinate evacuation efforts, and to provide assistance to US citizens in the affected countries.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of the Caribbean region,” she said.
Hurricane Maria, the most powerful storm to make a direct hit on Puerto Rico in almost a century, ravaged the island on Wednesday, knocking out all electricity, deluging towns with flashfloods and mudslides and compounding the already considerable pain of residents.
Less than two weeks ago, another powerful storm – Hurricane Irma dealt the island “a glancing blow,” killing at least three people and leaving nearly 70 percent of households without power.
Hurricane Maria, which made landfall on Puerto Rico at 6 a.m (local time) on Wednesday, as a Category 4 hurricane, took out the island’s entire power grid, and only added to the woes of a commonwealth that has been groaning under the weight of an extended debt and bankruptcy crisis.
Hurricane Maria also slammed into Dominica late Tuesday.
The storm has devastated infrastructure and led to seven deaths.
NY sends police, fire fighters to help Caribbean with Hurricane Maria recovery
NEW YORK – New York City will be helping the victims of Hurricane Maria across the Caribbean by sending 27 members of the New York Police Department (NYPD) and the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) to assist in the recovery efforts.
According to Mayor Bill de Blasio , 27 members of the New York Police Department (NYPD) and the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) left for Puerto Rico and elsewhere in the region assist in the recovery efforts.
The members of the NYPD and FDNY, including medics and disaster relief professionals make up the city’s Urban Search and Rescue team.
There are 28 Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) Urban Search and Rescue teams strategically located throughout the United States, which can also be deployed to the region within six hours of activation.
Meantime, Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda is expected to focus the world’s attention on climate change and its effects on the Caribbean when he addresses the United Nations General Assembly Thursday evening.
Before departing Antigua on Wednesday, Browne said his primary objective is to speak about the devastation of the sister isle of Barbuda, which was ravaged by Hurricane Irma and to rally the support of the international community for the island.
“I will also be speaking to the issue of Climate Change,” Browne said. “We recognize that in some quarters they are arguing against the issue of climate change.
“We are the ones who are suffering the consequences of climate change here in the Caribbean,” he added. “I want to ensure that I am one of the major advocates on the issue of climate change.”
Browne said his intention is to work with individuals, such as former US Vice President Al Gore and others, to become “more integrally involved” in advancing the arguments in favor of climate change,” according to an Antigua and Barbuda government statement.
