ORLANDO, Fla. – The Federal Emergency Management Agency will begin airlifting residents from Puerto Rico to the U.S. mainland more than a month after Hurricane Maria devastated the island.
Nearly 3,000 Puerto Ricans who are still staying in shelters on the island could be airlifted to Florida and New York, a FEMA spokesman said.
Mike Byrne, a federal coordinating officer for FEMA, told CBS News that the program is the first time the agency has attempted what it calls an "air bridge," or a relief operation requiring the transportation of individuals from a disaster area.
"The governor (of Puerto Rico) has asked for a couple of states to be host states, so New York and Florida are the first two that are up," Byrne said. "So we are working with them and crafting out what they are going to do and how they are going to help out."
To prepare for the possible arrival of thousands of additional evacuees, Florida Gov. Rick Scott directed the Florida Division of Emergency Management to upgrade the status of the State Emergency Operations Center to allow more resources to arrive quickly at disaster relief centers in Orlando and Miami.
Scott said that since Oct. 3 more than 143,000 Puerto Ricans have arrived in Florida after Hurricane Maria. More than 1,300 students from Puerto Rico have enrolled in Orlando-area schools, according Orange County school officials.
Since it opened, the disaster relief center at Orlando International Airport has helped thousands of Puerto Ricans seeking refuge after Hurricane Maria, and officials say the lines will continue to grow.
When evacuees arrive at the center, they meet with representatives from agencies that can help them get set up while they are in Florida, whether their stay will be temporary stay or permanent.
FEMA is working with hotels on the mainland to accommodate evacuees through the Temporary Sheltering Assistance Program. In Central Florida, there are more than four dozen hotels available. See a list of participating hotels here.
Heidi Harrington, who manages the Rodeway Inn about 1 mile from Walt Disney World, said the inn had about 30 rooms reserved for evacuees, and half of those are filled. The rooms are paid for through FEMA for about 22 days, but Harrington said the agency has been extending that date range.
"As long as we have the availability, they are more than welcome to come," Harrington said.
Damage from Hurricane Maria could eventually total $90 billion, and FEMA officials have said the agency has distributed more food and water to help recovery efforts from Hurricane Maria than in any other disaster.
CBS News contributed to this report.