US: Puerto Rico power outage to persist until April 19 /update 2

Event

Puerto Rico suffered an island-wide power outage on the morning of Wednesday, April 18 (local time), affecting nearly all 3.4 million residents of the territory. The power outage was reportedly caused by a crane, operated by a private contractor, which hit and knocked over a power transmission line. According to the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA), power may not be restored in some areas until 24 to 36 hours from when the outage began; authorities first reported on the power outage shortly before 10:00 on Wednesday, meaning that the outage will likely persist in some areas through late on Thursday, April 19.

PREPA has said that it will prioritize restoring power to hospitals, San Juan's Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU), water pumping systems, and banks. As of 15:30 on Wednesday, electricity had been restored to five hospitals and at least seven municipalities; by 16:58, power was restored to over 51,000 customers across the territory. Associated disruptions are likely until power is restored, notably including traffic congestion due to inoperable stoplights, flight disruptions (including delays and cancelations), and commercial disruptions, among others.

Context

Puerto Rico's electricity and water grids were devastated by Hurricane Maria when the storm struck the island in September 2017 and recovery efforts are ongoing. Regular power outages, along with other issues, have had a severe impact on the territory's economy and daily life on the island.

Advice

Individuals in Puerto Rico are advised to keep battery-operated devices fully charged whenever possible. In addition, individuals are advised to be cautious when driving or crossing streets as traffic signals may not be functioning properly during power outages.