FEMA FEMA has sent more than 150 staff to Hawaii as well as 65 electrical generators, with another 26 scheduled to arrive on Thursday. (Photo: Jason Janik/Bloomberg News)

(Bloomberg) – As a Category 4 hurricane roars toward Hawaii, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said it's learned the lessons of last year's devastation of Puerto Rico and is vowing a better response.

Better prepared?

Calling 2017 "historic," Jeff Byard, FEMA's associate administrator for response and recovery, told reporters Thursday that Hurricane Maria left the agency better prepared for Hurricane Lane. The storm is about 300 miles (482 kilometers) south of Honolulu and is expected to be very close to or over portions of the islands as soon as Thursday.

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