Puerto Rico is once again in the national spotlight as the island grapples with the aftermath of recent flooding and works to fortify its disaster response systems. In a week marked by significant announcements, the government unveiled a $28 million infusion for municipal flood recovery, while federal investigators and academic researchers continued their deep dive into the lessons of Hurricane Maria. Additionally, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will soon send its Review Council to the island, promising a fresh look at how disaster aid is delivered and how communities like Puerto Rico can better weather future storms.
On August 28, 2025, Puerto Rico’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) revealed that the Financial Oversight and Management Board had authorized the reallocation of $28 million for infrastructure repairs and the restoration of essential services in towns battered by floods earlier in the spring. According to OMB Director Orlando Rivera-Berríos, the funding will be used to repair roads, restore utilities, and support critical public services, with a particular focus on vulnerable communities hit hardest between April and May.
“This decision represents not only financial flexibility but also a commitment to our people,” Rivera-Berríos said, as reported by News Is My Business. “Since we arrived at OMB, we have worked tirelessly to serve municipalities and ensure that emergency funds are used effectively and for the direct benefit of flood-affected communities. Our priority is that every dollar allocated reaches where it is most needed, with the due controls and transparency that has characterized us.”
The funding comes with strings attached. An additional $1.8 million has been set aside but won’t be released until municipalities meet strict reporting requirements. The oversight board is demanding detailed accounting from towns on how they spent $100,000 previously distributed from the Emergency Reserve Fund. Only after evaluating those reports will the board decide whether to unlock the remaining funds. Rivera-Berríos voiced support for these tighter controls, emphasizing that responsible use of funds—and the return of any unspent money—remains a top priority.
Puerto Rico is also thinking long-term. Joint Resolution 11 of 2025, passed on June 23, allocates $15 million from general fund surpluses for infrastructure projects across 22 municipalities. This measure, which amends the general budget for fiscal year 2025, increases municipal funding to cover operating expenses and maintain essential services. The projects are as varied as the island itself: Camuy will construct a new municipal center, Canóvanas will invest in a sports school and culinary arts salon, and Fajardo plans to build a dam to improve irrigation canals. Other towns will focus on community works, road repaving, or neighborhood upgrades, each project tailored to local needs.
But before a single shovel hits the ground, every project must pass board review. Municipalities were required to submit detailed proposals by August 22, and as of this week, 20 had complied. OMB has already sent 14 projects to the board for review, expects to send three more soon, and continues to evaluate three others. Two municipalities are still lagging, having not yet provided the necessary documentation. Rivera-Berríos acknowledged the bureaucratic hurdles but stressed the importance of balancing speed with accountability. “With this distribution, we give continuity to the commitment of Gov. Jenniffer González to strengthen the municipal finances, infrastructure and economic development of Puerto Rico,” he said.
While the island addresses immediate recovery, a major federal review looms on the horizon. On August 29, Governor Jenniffer González Colón announced that the FEMA Review Council will visit Puerto Rico on September 24 as part of a nationwide series of sessions evaluating FEMA’s disaster response capabilities. The council, established by President Donald Trump through Executive Order 14180, is tasked with recommending improvements to FEMA’s processes and ensuring the agency can respond effectively and impartially to disasters.
During the visit, the council will hold an executive hearing convened by Governor González Colón, bringing together agency heads to provide direct input on proposed FEMA reforms. “It is essential that Puerto Rico actively participates in this review process,” González Colón said, according to The San Juan Daily Star. “We have experienced firsthand the challenges posed by emergencies and natural disasters, and it is crucial that these realities be factored into any proposed reforms. The visit of the FEMA Review Council represents a unique opportunity to ensure that our priorities translate into concrete actions from Washington.”
González Colón, who previously secured the largest reconstruction funds in Puerto Rico’s history as Resident Commissioner, stressed that her administration is focused on ensuring these resources are used swiftly and effectively. The government has reiterated its commitment to working closely with the council and federal agencies to strengthen disaster response mechanisms, enhance community capacity, and ensure that aid reaches those most in need—quickly and efficiently.
Meanwhile, the lessons of the past continue to shape Puerto Rico’s recovery. As of late August, University of Florida (UF) researchers are working alongside the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to investigate the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Maria, which struck the island in September 2017. Hurricane Maria killed nearly 3,000 people and caused over $90 billion in damage, making it one of the deadliest and costliest storms in U.S. history.
UF’s team, led by engineering professor Brian Phillips, is using wind tunnels to create scale models of Puerto Rican terrain and hospitals in order to study wind effects and structural loads. According to UF News, the research aims to answer critical questions about why so many weather stations failed during Maria and how infrastructure can be made more resilient. “Our wind tunnel has a strong reputation in the wind-engineering community for its unique flow control and measurement capabilities,” Phillips said. “We worked with NIST to develop a test campaign to study the wind conditions Puerto Rico’s mountainous terrain and the resulting loads of critical infrastructure.”
The findings are sobering. Preliminary results released by NIST in July 2025 revealed that peak wind speeds over flat terrain reached 140 mph, accelerating to over 200 mph in some mountainous areas. Rainfall topped 30 inches in certain regions. Only three out of 22 weather stations functioned throughout the hurricane, and a staggering 95.3% of schools lost power for an average of over 100 days. Hospitals and shelters were cut off by flooding, and the resulting lack of access to health care was a major contributor to the death toll.
Yet, there are glimmers of hope. NIST found that emergency preparations—such as pre-established plans, risk mitigation funds, and backup power sources—enabled some businesses, schools, and hospitals to resume operations more quickly. “One important preliminary finding from the study is that emergency preparations work,” said Maria Dillard, NIST’s associate lead Hurricane Maria investigator. The full NIST report is due in 2026, but the early data is already shaping the conversation around building codes, standards, and disaster readiness not just in Puerto Rico, but across the United States.
As Puerto Rico moves forward, the convergence of new funding, federal scrutiny, and scientific investigation offers a rare opportunity. The island stands at a crossroads—determined to learn from the past, invest in the present, and build a safer, more resilient future for all its communities.