Status: 09/19/2022 10:33 a.m
Hurricane Fiona completely collapsed the power supply on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico. A state of emergency has been declared for US territory. Now the Dominican Republic is also taking precautions.
Hurricane Fiona made landfall in Puerto Rico, causing flooding across much of the Caribbean island. This was announced by the US hurricane center in Miami, Florida – and issued a warning for the US territory of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
“These rainfall levels will cause life-threatening flash floods and urban flooding in Puerto Rico and parts of the eastern Dominican Republic, as well as mudslides and landslides in higher areas,” it said. US President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency in the US territory.
Photos on social media showed fallen trees, flooding and rescue operations. The emergency is not over yet, wrote Governor Pedro Pierluisi.
Speeds of up to 140 km/h
“I urge people to stay in their homes,” said William Miranda Torres, the mayor of the city of Caguas in the north of the island. At least one large landslide was reported there. The hurricane also ripped away a bridge in the central mountain town of Utuado. According to the police, this was after Hurricane Maria in 2017 established by the National Guard.
According to the US National Hurricane Center, “Fiona” made landfall about 25 kilometers southeast of the port city of Mayaguez. The storm reached a maximum wind speed of 140 kilometers per hour and moved in a northwesterly direction. Dense clouds hung over the entire island. The storm is said to have been felt up to 220 kilometers away.
Meanwhile, the Dominican Republic was preparing for “Fiona”. The cyclone had gained strength over the Atlantic and was upgraded to a hurricane en route to Puerto Rico.
Power outage could last for days
“Fiona” had already led to a complete power failure on the Caribbean island before the hurricane arrived. “The power grid is currently out of service due to the effects of the hurricane,” Governor Pierluisi said on social networks. According to the electricity provider Luma Energy, it could take several days for the power supply to be fully restored. The wind ripped wires, causing a power outage across the island.
Even before the storm, the power had repeatedly failed in Puerto Rico, which also led to demonstrations. Unreliable power supply has long been a problem in the US metropolitan area.
Puerto Rico, an island of just over three million people, is often exposed to storms during hurricane season. Hurricane “Maria” in particular had devastating consequences in 2017 and claimed around 3,000 lives. The Atlantic hurricane season lasts from June to November.