FEMA Blamed Delays In Puerto Rico On Maria; Agency Records Tell Another Story

U.S. Army soldiers in Puerto Rico unload food on Oct. 17, 2017. Nearly a month after Hurricane Maria hit, the federal government was still delivering basic supplies, like food and water.

Mario Tama / Getty Images

A month after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, Army Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan stepped off a helicopter in the town of Ceiba with a mission: Get relief supplies to people in need.

He and FEMA’s regional administrator, Thomas Von Essen, told the town’s mayor and other mayors from across the island that generators, plastic roofs and tarps would be there within days.

“There are 50,000 more blue tarps coming in over the next week,” Buchanan said. “So these will all get pushed to all the mayors.”