Puerto Rico

Gov. Newsom Deploys Help to Assist Puerto Rico After Earthquakes

Store owners and family help remove supplies from Ely Mer Mar hardware store, which partially collapsed after an earthquake struck Guanica, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020. A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck Puerto Rico before dawn on Tuesday, killing one man, injuring others and collapsing buildings in the southern part of the island.
Carlos Giusti/AP

Governor Gavin Newsom announced Saturday that he's deploying a team of 31 disaster specialists to help Puerto Rico "rebuild and recover" after catastrophic earthquakes in the island.

Puerto Rico has been rattled by multiple earthquakes since Monday, and has caused severe damage including one death.

"California stands with the people of Puerto Rico," said Governor Newsom in a statement. "Our nation-sized state knows first-hand the devastating toll of natural disasters and will provide aid and support as our brothers and sisters rebuild and recover."

The 31 members of the team that will be deployed consists of experts in incident and emergency management, engineering and safety assessment, planning, public information, debris management and crisis counseling.

The team will depart from Sacramento Sunday morning and will stay on the island for 16 days.

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