Puerto Ricans desperate for water after Fiona’s rampage
CAGUAS, Puerto Rico (AP) — More than a half million people in Puerto Rico remained without water service three days after Hurricane Fiona slammed into the US territory, and many spent hours in lines Wednesday to fill jugs from water trucks while others scooped water from mountain runoff.
Sweat rolled down the faces of people in a long line of cars in the northern mountain town of Caguas, where the government had sent a water truck, one of at least 18 so-called “oases” set up across the island.
The situation was maddening for many people across an island once again left without basic services following a storm.
“We thought we had a bad experience with Maria, but this was worse,” Gerardo Rodríguez said in the southern coastal town of Salinas, referring to the 2017 hurricane that caused nearly 3,000 deaths and demolished the island’s power grid.
Fiona dumped roughly two feet of rain on parts of Puerto Rico before blasting across the eastern Dominican Republic and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Swelled to Category 4 force, the storm was on a track to pass close by Bermuda early Friday and then hit easternmost Canada by early Saturday, according to the US National Hurricane Center.
The storm played havoc with Puerto Rico’s electrical grid, which had been patched but never fully rebuilt after Maria caused a blackout that lasted 11 months in some places.
As of Wednesday afternoon, roughly 70 per cent of Puerto Rican customers lacked electricity, according to government figures.
Power company officials initially said it would take a few days for electricity to be restored, but then appeared to backtrack Tuesday night, saying they faced numerous obstacles.
“Hurricane Fiona has severely impacted electrical infrastructure and generation facilities throughout the island. We want to make it very clear that efforts to restore and reenergize continue and are being affected by severe flooding, impassable roads, downed trees, deteriorating equipment, and downed lines,” said Luma, the company that operates power transmission and distribution.
Officials said crews found several substations underwater and inaccessible.
But Luma said it expected to restore power Wednesday to much of Puerto Rico’s north coast, which Fiona largely spared.
The hum of generators could be heard across the territory as people became increasingly exasperated.
“I continue to hope that by the end of today, a large part of the population will have these services,” said Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi.
The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency travelled to Puerto Rico on Tuesday and the agency announced it was sending hundreds of additional personnel to boost local response efforts. On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden approved a major disaster declaration, which would allow for more federal assistance.
Meanwhile, the US Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency in Puerto Rico and deployed a couple of teams to the island.