PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Hurricanes Maria and Irma were regarded as the worst natural disaster on record for the Caribbean Island of Puerto Rico. EE&G was retained by Excel Contractors USA, 4 Contractors JV, and Yates-Bird, LLC including local institutions such as the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to implement the Sheltering and Temporary Essential Power (“STEP”) Program to enable the Puerto Rico government to perform minor emergency repairs in single-family owner-occupied residences in order for them to become habitable as shelters in place. EE&G has implemented the STEP Program for Zones 3, 5, and 6 for the island of Puerto.
FEMA and the USACE: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the USACE project began less than a month after Hurricane Maria hit the island. The STEP program for Hurricane Maria and Irma recovery plan has generated more than 1000 employment opportunities on the island, ranging from engineers to general laborers. It is expected that EE&G will continue emergency response services for over 25,000 properties in 2018-2019.