WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) is reporting that approximately 74 per cent of its customers impacted by Hurricane Melissa have had their electricity restored.

The update was provided during a media briefing in Negril on Sunday.

“I am pleased to share that since the passage of the unprecedented Hurricane Melissa — a Category 5 storm with 185 miles per hour to a grid that is designed for a Category 3 — we have restored 74 per cent of our customers,” stated President and CEO of JPS, Hugh Grant.

According to Grant, following the storm, more than 540,000 customers were left without service. However, to date, some 360,000 customers have been restored with under 180,000 still without service.

Late Thursday night, sections of Hanover and Negril were energised with electricity — three days earlier than the schedule promised by the company.

The company said several hotels and commercial buildings along the seven-mile strip to include Royalton Negril, Riu, Margaritaville and the Negril town centre has been energised.

On the other hand, the company is hoping to power the Savanna-la-Mar Public General Hospital in Westmoreland by the second week in December

In Trelawny, the company had promised to start energising the town on November 14. The Falmouth Public General Hospital, the National Water Commission Martha Brae Treatment Plant, the Cruise Pier and hotels—including Royalton, Excellence Oyster Bay, Riu Aquarelle, Glistering Waters are now receiving electricity.

JPS was set to start providing power to the town of Montego Bay in St James on November 22. The company claimed this was done and they are on their way to energise the elegant corridor.

The company said among those receiving electricity are the Sangster International Airport, the University of the West Indies Western Campus and several hotels — including Sandals, and Riu. The Coral Gardens community is also energised.

In St Mary, the company said 86 per cent of its 30,000 customers have received power while the same goes for 83 per cent of the 23,000 customers in Portland as of November 22.

St Ann, Clarendon and Manchester are on track for 75 per cent electricity restoration by the second week in December, the company said. More than two-thirds of the total number of customers across these parishes have already been restored.

Despite this, the company said St Ann is proving to be the most challenging due to extensive damage to the transmission network.

— Anthony Lewis