Puerto Rico Still Needs 'A Lot of Work' Over Its Hurricane and Earthquake Recovery, Says Federal Audit

A US federal government report on Puerto Rico's recovery after subsequent hurricanes and earthquakes showed the US island territory in the Caribbean still needs more work as it continues to recover from hurricanes Maria and Irma, coupled with a string of strong earthquakes.

The recovery effort in Puerto Rico remains a slow crawl, as many on the island, all of whom are US citizens, still feel the effects of the natural disasters that have hit the US Caribbean territory. This is shown in the US federal report, which was released Tuesday.

The report stated that less than 10% of more than $23 billion in available federal funds has been spent and that "a substantial amount" of permanent projects are still pending. While this is happening, costs continue to soar on the island and have threatened to halt the rebuilding work.

According to the Associated Press, the US Government Accountability Office was the one that made the report, and it stated, "More than six years after hurricanes Irma and Maria, Puerto Rico's recovery is ongoing."

This was made even worse as a series of earthquakes hit the US territory in December 2019 and January 2020. These earthquakes added to the damage, incurring millions of dollars in additional costs.

Over $11 billion of the $23.4 billion that the US Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded to help in the recovery of Puerto Rico has not yet been approved, as approval from the agency is still required before the Puerto Rican government can actually spend it.

Furthermore, it is still not clear why the territorial government has not yet taken any steps to get access to that money.

Aid for Puerto Rico Hurricane Fiona Recovery Still Getting Blocked Because of Lack of Street Numbers

According to the Daily Kos, people in Puerto Rico are still reeling from Hurricanes Maria and Fiona. However, they are still facing obstacles that prevent them from receiving post-Fiona governmental aid, and this is all due to their homes not having street numbers.

A large number of homes in Puerto Rico do not have street numbers, preventing the local government from identifying which ones already received aid and which ones have not.

A group of municipal employees and volunteers were helping residents fill out the application for assistance for critical needs, but the wait is still long. However, there are also efforts to improve the housing address system in Puerto Rico.

Amid Energy Woes, Puerto Rico Can Achieve 100% Renewable Energy Future By 2050

Since Maria, Fiona, and Irma, Puerto Rico's power grid has struggled to provide electricity, resulting in electricity bills going up all over the island. This has forced many to turn to renewable energy.

The US Department of Energy and FEMA have revealed the results of their 2-year study, and it stated that Puerto Rico could achieve 100% renewable energy by 2050, as it outlined pathways to achieving clean energy success. These include grid stabilization measures and the deployment of distributed energy resources.

READ MORE: Puerto Rico's Wrestling Culture and Its Underrated Pro Wrestlers

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: FEMA chief discusses Hurricane Fiona recovery efforts in Puerto Rico - CBS News