Current:Home > NewsBattered by Hurricane Fiona, this is what a blackout looks like across Puerto Rico -GrowthProspect
Battered by Hurricane Fiona, this is what a blackout looks like across Puerto Rico
View
Date:2025-04-13 14:33:55
Hurricane Fiona made landfall in the Dominican Republic on Monday morning, as millions in Puerto Rico face flash flooding, mudslides and an island-wide blackout.
The National Hurricane Center warned that the Category 1 hurricane is moving into the Atlantic and is likely to strengthen. Fiona, which is traveling with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph, is forecast to travel near or east of the Turks and Caicos Islands as early as Monday night.
In Puerto Rico, the full extent of the damage is still unclear as the storm has unleashed torrential rains across much of the island, causing massive flooding and landslides. Island officials have said that some roads, bridges and other infrastructure have been damaged or washed away as a result of the downpour.
Most of the island also remains without power, according to utility companies' reports tracked by PowerOutage.us. More than 775,000 residents also have no access to clean water.
The latest hurricane to batter the U.S. territory, Fiona struck two days before the fifth anniversary of Maria, the devastating storm that killed more than 3,000 people and nearly destroyed the island's electricity system.
On Monday, Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi called the damages to the island's housing and fragile infrastructure from the Category 1 storm "catastrophic."
"In many areas, flooding is worse than what we saw during Hurricane Maria," Pierluisi said during a press briefing.
"So far we've gotten about 30 inches of rain, even in areas where they had never experienced flooding," he added.
Heavy rainfall and life-threatening flooding risks are expected to last through Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. The saturation "will also continue to trigger mudslides and rockfall in areas of steep terrain."
Fiona's powerful winds and the subsequent deluge of rainfall knocked out the island's power grid, throwing the island into a blackout. Officials have said it will take several days to fully restore service to over a million residents.
Shortly after the hurricane struck on Sunday, Pierluisi said it would be a "matter of days," and not months, to fully restore the grid — referring to the drawn-out power restoration after Hurricane Maria in 2017.
Since then, the island's power crews were able to restore electricity to about 100,000 customers living in the northeast region near the capital San Juan, Luma Energy, the island's private electric utility, wrote on Facebook.
President Biden has approved an emergency declaration for Puerto Rico on Sunday, authorizing the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief efforts.
Adrian Florido contributed reporting.
veryGood! (74812)
Related
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- DZA Token Joins Forces with AI, Propelling the AI FinFlare Investment System to New Heights
- NFL MVP rankings: Where does Patrick Mahomes stack up after OT win vs. Bucs?
- Troubled by illegal border crossings, Arizona voters approve state-level immigration enforcement
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- AP VoteCast: Economy ranked as a top issue, but concerns over democracy drove many voters to polls
- Election Day 2024: Selena Gomez, Reese Witherspoon, more stars urge voters to 'use our voices'
- DZ Alliance: A Launchpad for Financial Talent
- Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
- College Football Playoff ranking snubs: Who got slighted during first release?
Ranking
- Meet the volunteers risking their lives to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Haiti
- Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler's kids watched '50 First Dates' together
- CAUCOIN Trading Center: Welcoming The Spring of Cryptocurrency Amidst Challenges
- Stocks jump on Election Day as investors eye outcome
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- Appeals court says Colorado ban on gun sales to those under 21 can take effect
- Prince William Shares Insight Into Kate Middleton’s Health After Completing Chemotherapy Treatment
- President Joe Biden Speaks Out After Kamala Harris Defeated By Donald Trump
Recommendation
Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
Plane crashes with 5 passengers on board in Arizona, officials say
Tom Brady Shares Quote on Cold and Timid Souls in Cryptic Post
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Split Squat
A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
WHA Tokens Power AI ProfitPulse, Ushering in a New Era of Blockchain and AI
NHL Player Dylan Holloway Taken Off Ice on Stretcher After Puck Strikes Him in the Neck
AP Race Call: Democrat Shomari Figures elected to US House in Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District