Earthquake triggers outages across much of Puerto Rico
PONCE, Puerto Rico — More than two-thirds of Puerto Rico had no electricity Wednesday in the wake of a powerful earthquake that damaged buildings across the southern part of the island and prompted thousands of people to sleep outside in yards and parking lots.
The magnitude 6.4 earthquake that struck before dawn Tuesday caused serious damage to one of Puerto Rico’s major power plants, Costa Sur, which generates about 40 percent of the island’s electricity.
Gov. Wanda Vázquez gave government workers the day off Wednesday and urged everyone to stay home, to “avoid chaos.”
“This is an event we have never lived through before,” the governor said. “We were not prepared for this. There is no way to prepare for this. It hit us hard, hard, hard.”
The governor said she and other senior officials traveled to the Costa Sur plant to check conditions after a series of earthquakes that have shaken the island since late December.
A wall fell on an employee, who was hospitalized in stable condition, she said. Officials said the damage to the plant was so bad that it may be beyond repair. Engineers may instead focus on another power plant, which has received federal funding for improvements.
On Tuesday night, 97 percent of the island was in the dark. But nearly a half-million of the island’s 1.5 million customers had their power restored by Wednesday morning, the power authority said.
Because of the power disruptions, about 250,000 customers were without running water Wednesday, according to the island’s aqueduct and water authority.
Elí Díaz, president of the agency, told WKAQ radio that authorities were scrambling to find generators to power the water plants.
“This is a question of hygiene and health,” Díaz said. “People can go without water for one day, maybe two. Now is when things start getting a little harder.”
The Trump administration approved Puerto Rico’s request for a federal disaster declaration for the earthquake, which will release some funding for things like debris removal and financial assistance for people who lost their houses.
Lines were forming outside grocery stories in some parts of the island that were hardest hit by the quakes.
“We are always the forgotten ones — no help gets here,” said Jessica Ramos Sotero as she stood in line under a blazing sun at one of the only three bakeries in the town of Guayanilla that were open. “Please, let people know what is happening here.”
Monday’s quake, which registered 5.8 magnitude, destroyed a beloved rock formation known as Punta Ventana in the town of Guayanilla. One death was attributed to Tuesday’s quake.
The ground continued to shake Wednesday, with at least 10 recorded tremors of 2.5 magnitude or greater, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.