Federal audit finds “a lot of work remains” in Puerto Rico’s hurricane and earthquake recovery

By DÁNICA COTO
Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A U.S. government audit has found that after two devastating hurricanes and a string of strong earthquakes, Puerto Rico is still trudging through reconstruction work. A report released by the U.S. Government Accountability Office on Tuesday found that the U.S. territory has spent less than 10% of more than $23 billion available in federal funds. The audit also warned that Puerto Rico has a substantial amount” of pending permanent projects as their costs soar and threaten to halt the rebuilding work. The report found that more than $11 billion of the $23.4 billion awarded by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency still requires the agency’s approval before Puerto Rico can spend it.