Mayor Adams plans to fly to Puerto Rico in aftermath of Hurricane Fiona

Mayor Adams is planning to fly to Puerto Rico this weekend as part of the city’s relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona, which was heading north as of Friday afternoon.

The storm, which was downgraded to a Category 4 hurricane, has left at least five people dead on Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and the island of Guadeloupe. An estimated one million Puerto Rican residents are still without power after the storm dumped 30 inches of rain in some areas on Sunday.

“I will be flying out either Saturday night or Sunday morning to speak with and see on the ground what’s taking place and meet my team that’s there already,” Adams said Friday morning during an interview on Caribbean Power Jam Radio. “Our goal is to do an assessment with Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and the entire Caribbean diaspora to do an analysis, to give assistance.”

The hurricane, which first hit Puerto Rico on Sunday, barreled past Bermuda by Friday morning and is likely to hit the Canadian coast as a cyclone by Saturday morning.

On Thursday, Adams met with President Biden and Gov. Hochul to speak with Puerto Rican Gov. Pedro Pierluisi about what resources are needed to help the island. The most recent devastation from Hurricane Fiona comes approximately five years after Hurricane Maria battered the U.S. territory, killing almost 3,000.

“It’s easier for us to give direct assistance to Puerto Rico because it is part of the country’s citizenry,” Adams said. “When we go into those other Caribbean communities … we have to operate within the federal guidelines, particularly through FEMA and the federal agencies. We’re coordinating with them as well. I don’t want to overstep what the federal requirements are.”

Adams urged that New Yorkers who want to help donate to trusted non-profits providing relief.

The storm is not expected to hit New York City directly this weekend, but could cause higher than normal tides in the area.