Government Agencies Lack of Consistent Support to Puerto Rico Following Hurricane Maria in 2017
Session Title
Explorations in Social Science
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Mass Communication
Faculty Mentor
William Schulte, Ph.D.
Abstract
Puerto Rico suffered following Hurricane Maria in Sept. 2017 due to natural consequences of the storm as well as governmental downfalls. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) along with the U.S. government were unprepared for the immense damage Maria caused. This study aims to extract the failings of FEMA and the government surrounding the relief efforts following Hurricane Maria. To gather information, several Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests were filed, public documents were examined, and other journalistic sources were acquired. Reviewed literature shows that there were many areas in which FEMA and the U.S. government were underprepared to provide Puerto Rico with the relief necessary, as well as many areas where the relief they provided was proclaimed to be greater than the reality. Using these resources, it can be concluded that, although Hurricane Maria quickly became the deadliest natural disaster in the United States since 1906, FEMA and federal funding went elsewhere. Due to these factors, relief efforts following Hurricane Maria were severely impacted.
Course Assignment
MCOM441 - Schulte
Type of Presentation
Oral presentation
Government Agencies Lack of Consistent Support to Puerto Rico Following Hurricane Maria in 2017
Puerto Rico suffered following Hurricane Maria in Sept. 2017 due to natural consequences of the storm as well as governmental downfalls. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) along with the U.S. government were unprepared for the immense damage Maria caused. This study aims to extract the failings of FEMA and the government surrounding the relief efforts following Hurricane Maria. To gather information, several Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests were filed, public documents were examined, and other journalistic sources were acquired. Reviewed literature shows that there were many areas in which FEMA and the U.S. government were underprepared to provide Puerto Rico with the relief necessary, as well as many areas where the relief they provided was proclaimed to be greater than the reality. Using these resources, it can be concluded that, although Hurricane Maria quickly became the deadliest natural disaster in the United States since 1906, FEMA and federal funding went elsewhere. Due to these factors, relief efforts following Hurricane Maria were severely impacted.
