Puerto Rico to demolish 16K structures damaged by Maria

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Puerto Rico’s government says it plans to demolish 16,000 structures that were heavily damaged by Hurricane Maria nearly two years ago.

Officials said Tuesday that they expect to obtain a total of $400 million in federal funds for the project, pending approval by federal officials.

The local government said it already has received $5.7 million to help pay for environmental studies, debris removal and the cost of hiring a demolition company.

Maria struck the U.S. territory as a Category 4 storm in September 2017 and it’s estimated to have caused more than $100 billion in damage.