Florida Gov. Rick Scott visited hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico Thursday to help coordinate relief efforts on the island. Scott met with Puerto Rico's Gov. Ricardo Rossello to get a first-hand look at the destruction caused by Hurricane Maria.
Upon Scott's return to Florida, he held a press conference to discuss his visit. He said the main challenges on the island are communication and power, and he noted the major differences in relief efforts between Florida and Puerto Rico.
“I could get thousands of people to drive here within a day or two. You cant get them there overnight. They gotta [sic] get there by boat or by plane,” Scott explained.
The Florida governor traveled to the U.S. commonwealth at the request of Rossello. Scott said the government is having trouble moving fuel and aid from the port to the people.
"It’s not easy to get into all these little pockets of people. We pulled into this one area and I think there was only one road in there. We don’t really have those types of issues here,” Scott said.
In response to the crisis in Puerto Rico, Scott has asked all Florida colleges and universities to offer in-state tuition for students from the island - a direct result of the devastation to schools that could be without power for months in addition to other issues.
He added that he's been in touch with representatives at Port Miami and Jacksonville to get more supplies shipped to the battered territory.
Local
This week, Scott directed the Florida National Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to stand ready to assist Puerto Rico as soon as the government identifies their specific needs.
