Governor Andrew Cuomo is calling on New York State-chartered banks to waive ATM and late fees and increase ATM withdrawal limits in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to help residents recovering from hurricanes Irma and Maria.
The state's department of financial services is also encouraging financial institutions to ease credit terms for new loans, increase credit card limits for customers in good credit standing, waive late fees for credit card and other loan balances, and allow loan customers to skip some payments for the time being without penalty.
Two weeks after Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico, less than six percent of citizens on the island have electricity, according to the Department of Defense. Twelve percent have cell service.
The defense department is delivering AT&T mobile cell towers to help with communication efforts.
Progress is being made in other areas. All 10 airports and nine ports are now open, and 65 percent of supermarkets are back in operation as well.
President Trump and First Lady Melania visited the island Tuesday and praised the work of FEMA and other federal relief employees on the ground.
More help is also arriving from New York. More than 100 physicians, nurses and other health care professionals from across the state are heading to the island, and UPS is delivering 100,000 bottles of water donated by New Yorkers.
The state has also sent members of the National Guard and state police along with Port Authority personnel and engineers to help repair the island's electrical grid.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
