WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Lawmakers in Washington are urging President Donald Trump to approve a disaster declaration after Puerto Rico was hit by yet another earthquake.
The slew of shattering earthquakes has knocked homes off their foundations and crushed cars.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) is now pushing the president and federal agencies to step in.
Scott is joining his Florida colleague Sen. Marco Rubio and Puerto Rico Congresswoman Jenniffer González-Colón in urging President Trump to approve a disaster declaration.
“I want to make sure all the federal resources get there,” he said.
Tuesday’s 6.4 magnitude quake was one of several tremors felt in the past month. The impact left several families in the dark, with power outages springing up across the island.
Scott warns that can affect daily life in the U.S. territory. He’s telling Floridians to be ready for an influx of new residents.
“What happened with Maria, we opened up our arms and accepted everybody in and I opened up relief centers in Miami and Orlando because there are so many people that want to come to Florida,” said Scott, who was Florida’s governor when Hurricane Maria hit.
Puerto Rico is still on the mend from 2017’s Category 5 Hurricane Maria. The Trump administration was criticized for its handling of the recovery efforts.
But Scott says they’re committed to the island.
“I believe they’re going to show up and do their job,” he said.
The White House says President Trump was briefed Tuesday on the earthquakes and will continue to monitor the effects and coordinate with officials in Puerto Rico. FEMA is sending additional teams to the island to help the 2,000 employees who are already there providing relief.
