Puerto Rico is preparing for an imminent scourge of mighty hurricane Maria between tomorrow and Wednesday with winds of 115 miles per hour (185 km / h), while still trying to recover, mainly, of problems of electricity infrastructure by the passage of the cyclone Irma two weeks ago.
“According to the trajectory, Hurricane Maria will cross Puerto Rico,” Governor Ricardo Rosselló said ahead of a hurricane, which is expected to enter the southeast and exit northwest of the island.
MarÃa already reaches category 2 over 5 in the Saffir-Simpson scale and its strength will intensify in the next few hours as it travels through the Caribbean to become a dangerous phenomenon, according to the last part of the National Hurricane Center of the United States ( CNH).
“It is a high-risk event,” said the Puerto Rican Executive, who has already issued a declaration of emergency in the event of a possible emergency in Puerto Rico. cyclonic attack.
At 0800 local time (1200 GMT) today the center of the hurricane was located near latitude 14.6 north, longitude 59.7 west, in the Caribbean Sea.
Maria moves west-northwest at about 12 mph (19 km / h) and this movement is expected to continue with a decline in speed of travel until Tuesday night.
Meteorologist Ernesto Morales of the National Weather Service in San Juan said that due to the slow movement of the system -8 miles per hour (13 km / h), Puerto Rico will experience hurricane winds for 24 hours.
He added that the hurricane winds extend for 25 miles (40 kilometers), “therefore, all of Puerto Rico is going to experience hurricane conditions.”
“The waters of the Caribbean are very hot and with a favorable environment to strengthen. It had been talked about that it was a year above normal and that is what is happening,” said Morales.
They are also expected to fall on the island between 12 (31 centimeters) and 18 inches (46 centimeters) of rain, which would cause great vulnerability in the areas of greater flooding on the island, so Rosselló urged them to seek to secure in the 450 shelters that have been enabled.
“We want to identify those people who do not get these communications, such as the elderly, the vulnerable, and the importance of making these accommodations fast,” added Rossello, who is experiencing his second hurricane as administrator of the island since he came to power in last January.
“If Irma was a challenge, this is a catastrophic event,” the Puerto Rican governor predicted. “This is very dangerous and we have to be ready, we will work to have shelters ready.
However, despite Hurricane Irma smashing Puerto Rico with tropical storm winds, the electricity system fell mostly, and nearly 70% of subscribers were left without electricity.
Nearly two weeks after Irma and according to the latest bulletin from the Electric Energy Authority (AEE), more than 96% of the population has the service.
“In terms of transmission, it is vulnerable, and the magnitude of this hurricane projects that there will be a bigger problem.” Today the helicopters are flying over the transmission lines to correct the weakest areas, “said the executive director of ESA , Ricardo Ramos.
“The expectation is that there will be no light, that the service will receive large and devastating smacks for our infrastructure.” “Restoration time? We do not know,” Ramos said.
The main problem is that the main electrical installations of the island are in the south of Puerto Rico, area that would enter the new hurricane.
Meanwhile, the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in Puerto Rico, Alejandro De la Campa, said that he expects the hurricane to pass to private electric companies in the United States. the island to assist the ESA to replenish the service.
“And for the future? We need new infrastructure to mitigate the impact on infrastructure,” the governor said.
Offices client services of P. Rico aqueducts will open until noon
Eli DÃaz, the chief executive of the Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA), today announced that Customer Service offices will be open until noon today as part of the preparation process for Hurricane Maria on the island.
“Customers who merit transactions after midday can call the Customer Service Center, access the virtual office or through our mobile application,” Diaz said in a statement.
The executive president explained that these services offered by the AAA are safe and allow the client to carry out all types of transactions, from payment invoices, salary report, request for payment plans, claims, transaction tracking and even high or low service .
