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Nevada Bureau of Land Management rangers helping in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria

Posted at 7:19 PM, Sep 21, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-21 22:19:49-04

Bureau of Land Management Law Enforcement Rangers from Nevada are currently deployed to San Juan, Puerto Rico and are assisting with relief and search and rescue efforts in the wake of Hurricane Maria.

Rangers Bill Hart from the Ely District and Paul Zohovetz of Fernley, who is assigned to the Carson City District, arrived in San Juan prior to Hurricane Maria, which blew ashore Wednesday morning as a Category 4 storm with winds of 155 mph.  Maria destroyed hundreds of homes, knocked out power across the entire island of 3.4 million people and turned some streets into raging rivers.
 
Hart and Zohovetz are among several other Bureau of Land Management officers nationally who were on a roster to assist with national emergencies through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Emergency Support Function.

BLM Ranger Ernesto Felix from the Elko District originally deployed to Orlando, Fla., and is now on his way to Puerto Rico.
 
The Nevada rangers are part of a Quick Reaction Team, which became emergency first responders for guest and staff of the La Concha hotel where they were staying when Maria hit. Several of the guests and staff, including a 91-year-old woman, were treated for injuries following the devastating hurricane.

The team is now taking part in search and rescue operations.