Sunday saw the impact of Hurricane Fiona in the southwest of Puerto Rico, just after the whole area ran out of power due to the storm’s battering. According to the experts, the hurricane came approximately 5 years from the day the U.S. was destroyed by the catastrophic Hurricane Maria.
The National Hurricane Center reported that Fiona, a Category 1 storm, made landfall in Puerto Rico around 3:20 p.m. EDT and brought 85 mph maximal sustained winds. In addition to this, the forecasters predicted that the storm will cause unprecedented precipitation of up to 30 inches, severe floods, and hazardous mudflows. Therefore, it will be very difficult for the residents to manage for a couple of weeks.
Governor Pedro Pierluisi of Puerto Rico remarked, “The losses that the island is experiencing are devastating.”
Authorities believe that the National Guard erected a bridge in the central mountain village of Utuado when Hurricane Maria struck on September 20, 2017, but the storms swept it off.
11 am AST Sunday, September 18 Key Messages for Hurricane #Fiona.https://t.co/tCKLpI9JDD pic.twitter.com/4CcEBU6tkC
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 18, 2022
The power generation and transmission firm, LUMA Energy, claimed that wind gusts damaged electrical cables, causing “a shutdown on the entire island.” According to LUMA, it might require many days to completely restore power.
The region, which is populated by 3.2 million citizens, the overwhelming majority of whom are Americans, was placed under emergency declaration by President Joe Biden.
Meteorologists predict that Fiona will bring 12 to 18 amounts of rainfall to eastern and southern Puerto Rico, and up to 30 inches in a few remote areas.
Cities and villages on the southern coast that are currently recuperating from a number of earthquake shaking that occurred in 2019 could be blasted by the weather.
The meteorological agency warned that the rainfall would cause “severe flood damage and urban flooding throughout Puerto Rico and the eastern Dominican Republic, as well as dangerous flooding and landslides in parts of the mountainous ground.”
Earlier on Sunday, LUMA issued a warning about “prevalent power failures.” The rest of the island was completely black by noon. The structure is still shaky, and even more, than 3,000 households continue to only have a blue tarp covering their roofs.
The business stated that the “present weather patterns are exceedingly risky and are impeding our ability to examine the whole scenario,” warning that it might take a couple of days to supply power.
The engines that were powering the health centers have collapsed in several cases. Workers are repairing machines at the Comprehensive Cancer Center, according to Health Secretary Carlos Mellado.
No massive storm has developed by August for the very first time in 25 years, and also no storms have significantly affected the U.S. territory. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration state that by August 11, the first storm of an Atlantic season probably begins to form.
The season begins started on June 1 and lasts until November 30. Around September 17, the season’s height often occurs.
Over the last week, there is a lower chance that the hurricane will have a straight impact on the U.S. land, although early in the week, the hurricane may cause severe waves and powerful rough seas all along East Coast.
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