Over 4,000 people were rescued from flooded areas of Toa Baja. Governor Ricardo Rosselló said the nation faces a humanitarian crisis and urged Congress to approve a commensurate aid package as the US commonwealth that grapples with an economic crisis, tries to stabilise itself. “We need something tangible, a bill that actually answers to our need right now. Otherwise, there will be... a massive exodus to the United States,” the Governor said.
Democrats in the US government has called for swift action to help the island. Hillary Clinton has urged the Defence Department to send a Navy medical ship, while Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called for Republicans to join with Democrats to pass a robust relief package. Pelosi released a statement saying, “The Trump Administration must act immediately to make available additional Department of Defence resources for search-and-rescue operations, law enforcement and transportation needs. Our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands deserve to know that their government will be there for them, without question or hesitation.”
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump pledged federal help for Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Homeland Security Adviser Tom Bossert and FEMA Administrator Brock Long were travelling to Puerto Rico, according to White House press secretary Sarah Sanders. She said, “The federal response has been anything but slow. There's been an unprecedented push through of billions of dollars in federal assistance.”
Planes and ships loaded with meals, water and generators have been sent to the affected areas, as said by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The FEMA tweeted that over 10,000 federal employees are in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands helping with research and rescue efforts and moving goods.
