Puerto Rico Vows Full Power Restoration by Weekend Following Ernesto’s Damage

Electricity Services to be Restored by Weekend

The Electric Power Authority has pledged to restore electricity services across the nation by the end of this weekend following the damage caused by the passing of tropical storm Ernesto. Officials stated earlier that the schools would receive power by early Tuesday, however, approximately of 40,000 customers remained without power on Tuesday afternoon. “There are some 80% of emergency medical clinics who have received power,” the authorities further noted.

Damage Assessment and Recovery Efforts

Luquillo, a popular tourist destination, out of all the regions suffered the greatest number of outages with almost 30% of customers without power. Apart from Luquillo, other cities who suffered the damage including Fajardo, Rio Grande, and Yabucoa. Reportedly, up to 70,000 clients temporarily experienced the power outage till late Tuesday. However, 90,000 other customers experienced the same on Monday due to a manual reduction in power to Puerto Rico’s Power grid.

Tropical Storm Ernesto’s Impact

Notably, the tropical storm that passed the Caribbean caused immense damage everywhere, however in Puerto Rico, it left 7,50,000 clients without power. This damage is reported to be caused due to fallen trees and high winds that destroyed the power lines.

Reactions from Officials

Juan Saca, the President of Luma Energy, a private company that oversees the power distribution in Puerto Rico highlighted that, “It is very annoying, I don’t wish to minimize that.” He noted this while emphasizing that these outages are short.

On the other hand, the President of the island’s House energy commission stated the urgent need of more reliable energy sources for the island nation as he highlighted LUMA to be inefficient in providing power with precision to all.

Gov. Pedro Pierluisi, also stood in Luma’s side while noting that, “In the span of just three days, already 96% of the population had electric service.”

Challenges Facing Puerto Rico’s Power Grid

Puerto Rico’s power grid has been struggling to recover since the passage of Hurricane Maria in 2017. While the authorities are continuing repair and upgradation, severe weather are other major challenges faced by the federation causing disruptions.

Conclusion

The restoration of electricity services by the weekend is a significant step towards ensuring the normal functioning of daily life in Puerto Rico. However, the island nation faces many challenges in terms of providing a reliable and efficient power supply, and the urgency of finding alternative energy sources cannot be overstated.

FAQs

Q: How many customers were affected by the power outage?
A: Approximately 40,000 customers were without power on Tuesday afternoon, although 80% of emergency medical clinics had received power.

Q: Which cities suffered the most damage?
A: Luquillo, Fajardo, Rio Grande, and Yabucoa were among the cities that suffered the most damage.

Q: What is the reason for the power outage?
A: The damage was caused by fallen trees and high winds that destroyed the power lines.

Q: When will the power be restored?
A: The Electric Power Authority has pledged to restore electricity services across the nation by the end of this weekend.