Photo: The La Plata River floods a road after Tropical Storm Ernesto passed through Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, on August 14, 2024.
About half of Puerto Rico's homes and businesses were left without power after Hurricane Ernesto dumped heavy rains on the U.S. territory.
More than 725,000 homes and businesses out of 1.5 million customers were without power, according to LUMA Energy, Puerto Rico's main electricity provider. electricity, Reuters reports.
LUMA Energy President Juan Saca said he couldn't say how long it would take to restore power.
Puerto Rico's power grid is notoriously fragile. In 2022, Hurricane Fiona left 80% of homes and businesses without power for a month.
After Fiona, the U.S. Congress allocated $1 billion to modernize and stabilize Puerto Rico's power grid.
Ernesto strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane on Wednesday. It is about 225 miles (365 kilometers) northwest of Puerto Rico's capital, San Juan, and moving northwest, according to the National Hurricane Center. Winds inside the hurricane are expected to reach 75 mph (120 kilometers per hour). Ernesto is expected to approach Bermuda by Saturday, with rain expected to begin Thursday. It could strengthen to a Category 3 hurricane in the next 48 hours.
Puerto Rico's Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport resumed operations Wednesday after canceling 145 flights over the previous two days.
President Joe Biden previously ordered federal aid to supplement Puerto Rico's efforts to prepare for the storm.
The order authorized the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate all disaster relief efforts in all 78 municipalities in Puerto Rico.
Prepared by: Sergey Daga