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☆ Biden Administration Grants Waiver Allowing Diesel Shipment Into Puerto Rico
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Paul Page | Andrew Restuccia | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

The Biden administration on Wednesday approved a temporary waiver to Jones Act shipping restrictions to allow a tanker to deliver diesel fuel to Puerto Rico needed to run generators following the devastation caused by Hurricane Fiona. The BP vessel, which picked up its fuel cargo in Texas, is flagged to the Marshall Islands. The law is aimed at preserving U.S. maritime operations as a national security backup to the armed forces. Critics say the law drives up shipping prices and creates a barrier to speedy services following natural disasters and other times of need. Mr. Mayorkas said he made the decision to grant the waiver in consultation with the departments of Transportation, Energy, and Defense, and with input from Puerto Rico Gov.

☆ All eyes are on DeSantis' relationship with Biden as Hurricane Ian approaches Florida. Here's how the previous 3 presidents worked (or didn't) with governors on disaster relief efforts.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Isabella Zavarise | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Governors usually work directly with the White House during disasters, relying on the government for federal resources. Here's a look at how the last three presidents handled disaster relief efforts and how Biden could address this crisis with DeSantis. However, on Tuesday evening, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tweeted that Biden and DeSantis had spoken to discuss steps the federal government is taking to help Florida. Here's how the last three presidents worked with governors in their disaster relief efforts. Biden declared a state of emergency as the storm approached, ordering federal assistance to supplement disaster response efforts.

☆ Some 349,000 still without power in Puerto Rico after Fiona
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, Sept 28 (Reuters) - An estimated 349,000 homes and businesses were still without power in Puerto Rico on Wednesday after Hurricane Fiona hit on Sept. 18, causing an island-wide power outage for its 3.3 million people. After hitting Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, Hurricane Fiona turned north and slammed into eastern Canada on Sept. 24, leaving over a third of Nova Scotia without power. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterFiona hit Puerto Rico about five years after Hurricane Maria knocked out all power on the island. At that time the now bankrupt Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) was still operating the grid. Puerto Rico is restoring power to homes more quickly in the wake of Hurricane Fiona than after Hurricane Maria five years ago, when it took months before the island fully recovered.

Under no circumstances is it safe at this time, or responsible, to have anyone other than us touching the power lines." A child rides a scooter past downed electricity lines in Salinas, Puerto Rico, on Sept. 20. Many such former employees worked fixing power lines before Luma took over the island's electric transmission and distribution last year. In Villalba, the brigade dubbed "Villalba Power" started unhooking power lines tangled in ravaged trees. Hernandez said he is confident Puerto Rico will be fully energized in less than a month.

☆ Amphibious houses and floating cities could protect coastal communities from sea-level rise
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Lindsey Jacobson | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Hurricane Fiona has just devastated Puerto Rico, flooding the island leaving hundreds of thousands without access to electricity or running water. To combat the some of the worst impacts of flooding, a new industry of floating infrastructure is emerging. There are two distinct approaches that are being put forth as possible solutions: retrofitting homes to be amphibious and building floating city blocks. English's design places a steel frame beneath a house, and then below that, in the crawl space, buoyancy elements. She does, however, hope that her design could help preserve culture and give communities one option to help as they decide how they want to adapt to rising sea levels.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A ship carrying much-needed diesel fuel has been unable to dock in hard-hit southern Puerto Rico since Sunday while it awaits federal authorization because of the Jones Act, a century-old shipping law. That means that a foreign ship with goods for Puerto Rico would first have to disembark in the mainland U.S. and change crews. Signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson two years after World War I ended, the Jones Act was passed as a protective measure against foreign competition. On Thursday, eight members of Congress called for the federal government to grant a one-year waiver from the Jones Act for storm-ravaged Puerto Rico. As of Monday morning, only 16% of power customers in Ponce had their electricity restored, according to the Puerto Rican government.

☆ About 746,000 still without power in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Fiona
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterCars drive under a downed power pole in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona in Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico September 21, 2022. REUTERS/Ricardo Arduengo/File PhotoSept 26 (Reuters) - An estimated 746,000 homes and businesses were still without power in Puerto Rico on Monday morning after Hurricane Fiona caused an island-wide power outage for its roughly 3.3 million residents. Fiona, which was downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone by the U.S. National Hurricane Center on Saturday, battered Puerto Rico and other parts of the Caribbean a week ago, killing at least eight people. The storm reminded many Puerto Ricans of the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria five years ago, which knocked out power for almost all 1.5 million customers for a week. The widespread power outages have led to cascading energy problems for Puerto Rico, where fuel distribution limitations and surging demand for fuel to run backup generators has left many gas stations dry.

☆ Puerto Rican municipal workers pitch in as power outages persist
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Ivelisse Rivera | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Cars drive under a downed power pole in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona in Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico September 21, 2022. She pointed to hurdles such as storm-damaged roads and factors beyond LUMA's control, such as the generation capacity of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA). POWER CRUNCHThe widespread outages have led to a cascade of energy problems for Puerto Rico. Health officials in Puerto Rico attributed 12 deaths to the storm in Puerto Rico. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Ivelisse Rivera in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The storm, currently a Category 1 hurricane, is expected to make landfall in Cuba on Monday evening. Lugo was one of many Florida residents preparing for flooding from torrential rains could submerge streets and homes. In a grocery store in St. Petersburg, across the state on the Gulf Coast, only empty cardboard boxes remained where the store normally stocks distilled water. "This is a really big storm," Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said during a morning news conference, noting that the storm could potentially envelope both coasts of the state. From there, Ian could either make landfall north of Tampa Bay early on Friday or turn northwest toward Florida's Panhandle.

☆ Fiona Moves Away From Canada, Leaves Thousands Without Power
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Ginger Adams Otis | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Former Hurricane Fiona left hundreds of thousands of Canadians without electricity Sunday, as coastal communities grappled with washed out roads, downed trees and power lines, and homes swept into the sea. After churning its way up the Atlantic last week, Fiona came ashore in Atlantic Canada around 3 a.m. local time Saturday as a powerful post-tropical cyclone.

Workers with Luma Energy attempt to restore power on a flooded street in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, on Sept. 24. Since the hurricane, fuel and diesel have become essential to daily life in Puerto Rico, mainly to power the generators. People play pool in a bar on Sept. 20, in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. 'Puerto Rico is completely devastated'When asked what she would want to see from the federal response and from President Joe Biden, she said she wanted Biden to come to Puerto Rico and see the extent of the damage. A house that was washed away by Hurricane Fiona at Villa Esperanza in Salinas, Puerto Rico, on Sept. 21.

Hundreds of thousands of Canadians were without power Saturday after former hurricane Fiona slammed into the country’s Atlantic provinces, causing what officials called a shocking and devastating amount of damage. More than 471,000 customers across Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island New Brunswick and Newfoundland were without power Saturday, according to utilities. “PEI (Prince Edward Island) has experienced storm damage like they’ve never seen. Fifteen deaths in Puerto Rico and two deaths in the Dominican Republic have been tied to the storm, officials there said. In Prince Edward Island, King, the premier, said Saturday that the damage is most likely the worst the province has ever seen.

☆ Canada girds for long haul after historic storm Fiona ravages east coast
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( John Morris | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Waves roll in near a damaged house built close to the shore as Hurricane Fiona, later downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, passes the Atlantic settlement of Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada September 24, 2022. The historic storm slammed into eastern Canada with hurricane-force winds, forcing evacuations, uprooting trees and powerlines, and reducing many homes to "just a pile of rubble." read moreThe Canadian Hurricane Centre estimated that Fiona was the lowest pressured land falling storm on record in Canada. Several university students lined up for food outside convenience stores powered by generators due to the power outage caused by Fiona. "So this is exactly the kind of work that will accompany provincial authorities in the coming weeks and months," he added.

☆ Damage to Canada from storm Fiona is 'unprecedented'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A fallen tree lies on a crushed pickup truck following the passing of Hurricane Fiona, later downgraded to a post-tropical storm, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada September 24, 2022. REUTERS/Ted PritchardOTTAWA, Sept 25 (Reuters) - The breadth of the damage caused by the powerful storm Fiona that ravaged Canada's Atlantic coast on Saturday has never been seen before, and it will take months to rebuild the critical infrastructure that was destroyed, Canada's emergency preparedness minister Bill Blair said on Sunday. "The scale of what we're dealing with, I think it's unprecedented," Blair told Reuters in a telephone interview when asked how Fiona compared to Dorian, a storm that struck the region around Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 2019. "There is going to be what I believe will likely be several months work in restoring some of the critical infrastructure - buildings and homes, rooftops that have been blown off community centers and schools," he added. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Steve Scherer; Editing by Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Puerto Ricans from town in ‘terrible destruction’ after Hurricane Fiona despair over town's initial exclusion from aid
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | Daniella Silva | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The landslides cut off Rivera’s farm, where he still lacks power and water, until heavy machinery arrived to attempt to clear the destruction. Most of the towns excluded were in the southwestern region, where Hurricane Fiona entered and left incalculable devastation. 'Almost all lost'But residents in San Germán were frustrated at not being able to apply immediately for individual assistance. Gone were hundreds of avocados, the coffee, the eggplants, zucchini and other crops Rivera produces and sells to the community, mostly to nearby restaurants. Jorge Luis Rivera, 36, a farmer in San Germán, Puerto Rico, who lost most of his crops to Hurricane Fiona.

☆ Canada braces for ‘extreme event’ as storm Fiona nears after leaving path of destruction
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Phil-Helsel-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Phil Helsel | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Residents of Nova Scotia and other parts of Canada were bracing for hurricane-force winds and a potential historic storm surge as Hurricane Fiona approached Friday. “It is going to be certainly a historic extreme event for Eastern Canada,” said Bob Robichaud, warning preparedness meteorologist with the Canadian Hurricane Centre, at a briefing Friday. At 9 p.m. Halifax time, the storm was “accelerating quickly” toward Nova Scotia, Canada’s hurricane center said. Damage in Nova Scotia was estimated at almost $102 million, the CBC reported. In 2003 Canada was hit by Hurricane Juan, a Category 2 storm at landfall that ripped through Nova Scotia.

Francis Bruhm, Project Manager for general contractor G&R Kelly, places sandbags around the doors of the Nova Scotia Power building before the arrival of Hurricane Fiona in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada September 23, 2022. It was due to make landfall in eastern Nova Scotia Saturday morning, but rain and wind had already started Friday night. Canadian authorities sent emergency alerts in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, warning of severe flooding along shorelines and extremely dangerous waves. The storm could prove more ferocious than the benchmarks of Hurricane Juan in 2003 and Hurricane Dorian in 2019, Canadian Hurricane Centre meteorologist Bob Robichaud told a briefing. Trailing Fiona in the Caribbean is Tropical storm Ian, which is expected to become a hurricane on Sunday night.

☆ Fiona bears down on northeast Canada as big, powerful storm
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A youth rides his bycicle at the seaside in Nagua, Dominican Republic, on September 19, 2022, as Hurricane Fiona passes through the country. Fiona, which started the day as Category 4 storm but weakened to Category 2 strength late Friday, was forecast to make landfall in Nova Scotia early Saturday. The Canadian Hurricane Centre issued a hurricane watch over extensive coastal expanses of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Fiona should reach the area as a "large and powerful post-tropical cyclone with hurricane-force winds." It was centered about 140 miles (220 kilometers) southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, heading north at 46 mph (74 kph).

Francis Bruhm, Project Manager for general contractor G&R Kelly, places sandbags around the doors of the Nova Scotia Power building before the arrival of Hurricane Fiona in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada September 23, 2022. REUTERS/Ingrid Bulmer/File PhotoHALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Powerful storm Fiona slammed into eastern Canada on Saturday with hurricane-force winds, nearly a week after devastating parts of the Caribbean. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the center of the storm, now called Post-Tropical Cyclone Fiona, was crossing eastern Nova Scotia, bringing high winds and heavy rains. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterExperts predicted high winds, storm surges and heavy rainfall from Fiona. Canadian authorities sent emergency alerts in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, warning of severe flooding along shorelines and extremely dangerous waves.

☆ Hurricane Fiona Makes Path for Eastern Canada as Area Braces for Most Powerful Storm in Years
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Alyssa Lukpat | Ginger Adams Otis | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Eastern Canada is bracing for what forecasters said could be a once-in-a-lifetime storm. Hurricane Fiona is set to make landfall there Saturday as it barrels up the Atlantic Ocean, where it has left behind a trail of destruction in parts of the northern Caribbean.

JAYUYA, Puerto Rico — When Hurricane Fiona completely knocked out power and water to the mountain town of Jayuya, in the heart of Puerto Rico, it quickly became a life-or-death matter for Luis De Jesús Ramos, who has throat cancer and a tracheostomy. Luis De Jesús Ramos, 63, and his daughter Ashly Pérez, 26, in their home in Jayuya, Puerto Rico. Members of the company LUMA work restoring energy on Sept. 20, 2022 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Direct Relief Puerto Rico team came to the neighborhood to bring 10 portable oxygen concentrators and other supplies to partners in the area. Edwin Quiles Martínez, 66, and his wife Graciela Pérez Alvarado, 73, in their home in Ponce, Puerto Rico.

☆ Hurricane Fiona barrels toward Canada in a rare weather event after hitting Bermuda with heavy rains
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Chantal Da Silva | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Kathryn-Prociv.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Hurricane Fiona hammered Bermuda with heavy rains early Friday as the now-Category 3 storm marched toward northeastern Canada. The center of the storm was passing northwest of Bermuda by Friday morning with maximum sustained winds nearing 125 mph, with higher gusts, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The storm was downgraded from a Category 4 hurricane as it made its way past the island, it said. The hurricane center said the severe winds and rain expected to come with Fiona would have "major impacts" for eastern Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, western Newfoundland, eastern Quebec and southeastern Labrador. The hurricane center also warned of the possibility of downed trees and power outages, noting that "most regions will experience hurricane force winds."

☆ Hurricane Fiona roars by Bermuda, on route to Canada
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

View of a park in Samana, Dominican Republic, on September 19, 2022, after the passage of Hurricane Fiona. Fiona, a Category 3 hurricane, pounded Bermuda with heavy rains and winds early Friday as it swept by the island on a route forecast to have it approaching northeastern Canada late in the day as a still-powerful storm. The Canadian Hurricane Centre issued a hurricane watch over extensive coastal expanses of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Fiona should reach the area as a "large and powerful post-tropical cyclone with hurricane-force winds." A hurricane warning was in effect for Nova Scotia from Hubbards to Brule; Prince Edward Island; Isle-de-la-Madeleine; and Newfoundland from Parson's Pond to Francois.

Increasing wind pushes waves towards the south shore before the arrival of Hurricane Fiona in Bermuda September 22, 2022. REUTERS/Nicola MuirheadHAMILTON, Bermuda, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Hurricane Fiona threatened the Atlantic island of Bermuda on Friday, passing west of the British territory on its northward trek toward Nova Scotia while packing the potential to become one of the most severe storms in Canada's history. That made it a Category 4 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, meaning it was capable of producing catastrophic damage. Fiona is shaping up to be the most powerful storm to reach Canada since Dorian made landfall to the west of Halifax in September 2019, the government's Environment Canada website said. Like Dorian, Fiona could ease to a post-tropical storm, but Dorian still carried Category 2 intensity, with sustained winds of 96 mph (155 kph).

☆ A JetBlue plane went over Hurricane Fiona on its flight from the Dominican Republic to Newark
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A JetBlue flight traveled above Hurricane Fiona on Monday in an unusual flight path, per WaPo. Airline consulted the FAA and its meteorologists for the flight path, a spokesperson told the Post. In the case of a JetBlue flight from Punta Cana to Newark on Monday, the solution was to go over Hurricane Fiona, The Washington Post reported. Data from FlightAware shows the Airbus A320 flying over the then Category 2 storm on its journey from the Dominican Republic. Randy Bass, a meteorologist who runs Bass Weather Services, told the Post: "I wouldn't have wanted to be on that flight."

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