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Ernesto was packing wind gusts of 62 mph in approach toward Puerto Rico
By The Star Staff
LUMA Energy CEO Juan Saca said Tuesday that once the power service goes out as a result of Tropical Storm Ernesto, an assessment will be made that takes 24 to 48 hours and beyond that there is no certainty about how long it would take to restore the system.
“The time will depend on the intensity of what we find,” Saca said in response to questions from the press. “If we suddenly have gusts of 70 miles per hour, it is very different than if we have winds of 35 miles per hour. It will depend on how much rain and how much wind. We will try to make an assessment as soon as possible. To do it responsibly, it can take 24 to 48 hours in coordination with the mayors.”
“So I can’t give an answer,” Saca added. “In [Hurricane Fiona], more than 90 percent of customers had the system restored in 12 days. I understand that this was a super good performance by LUMA. Yes, there were the rest, which I don’t like because they were without electricity for a longer time.”
He insisted that the private grid operator’s response plan “is well detailed on our website.”
When asked if the expectation is to restore the service in 12 days or less if there are no major breakdowns, Saca answered that “it will depend on what happens and where it happens and we don’t know that.”
“After the event we can give an estimate of how long it can take,” he said.
Saca insisted that 50-mile-per-hour winds will impact the electrical system as occurs in other places around the world, but that LUMA has personnel and materials to deal with the emergency.
At an earlier press conference on Tuesday, Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia reiterated that no person who does not have to perform essential work should be on the streets.
“We are going to take measures to protect ourselves starting at 6 p.m. today,” the governor said, adding that the strongest winds would hit around midnight. “My recommendation is that we all stay at home, except for those who are providing essential services in the public and private sectors. In the private sector, those who are in the distribution chain, for example, food. But it is time to take shelter at 6 p.m. today.”
Pierluisi urged residents and tourists to stay off the beaches, as Ernesto was expected to cause dangerous ocean conditions, especially in the northern and eastern parts of the island, according to a New York Times report.
The governor also reiterated that non-essential public employees will not have to report to work in person, unless their supervisors tell them otherwise.
Pierluisi noted that the Financial Oversight and Management Board has already given the go-ahead to use the $1.3 billion Emergency Fund if necessary.
At the time of the press conference, two people were sheltered in the municipality of Humacao.
At 2 p.m. on Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that the center of Tropical Storm Ernesto was located near latitude 17.5 North, longitude 63.5 West, and moving toward the west-northwest near 18 miles per hour (mph; 30 km/h), and that general motion was expected to continue through Tuesday night.
A motion toward the northwest and then north at a slower forward speed was expected for today and Thursday.
On the forecast track, the center of Ernesto was expected to pass near or over the Virgin Islands on Tuesday evening, and then pass just to the northeast and north of Puerto Rico Tuesday night and into today. Ernesto should then move over the western Atlantic later in the week.
Just a slight shift west in Ernesto’s track would possibly bring stronger winds and rains to parts of Puerto Rico. Ferry service from the offshore island municipalities of Vieques and Culebra would be temporarily suspended by Tuesday afternoon, Pierluisi said.
Data from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicated that maximum sustained winds had increased to near 60 mph (95 km/h) with higher gusts. Additional strengthening was forecast, and Ernesto was expected to become a hurricane by early Wednesday.
Tropical-storm-force winds extended outward up to 105 miles (165 km) from the center. A wind gust of 62 mph (100 km/h) was recently reported at Gustavia, Saint Barthélemy.
Ernesto was expected to produce total rain accumulations of 4 to 6 inches over portions of the Leeward Islands from Guadeloupe to Dominica and across the U.S and British Virgin Islands. Rainfall totals of 6 to 8 inches, with maximum amounts of 10 inches, were expected across southeastern Puerto Rico, with totals of 2 to 4 inches across northwestern Puerto Rico.
Heavy rainfall could lead to localized flash flooding and mudslides in the Leeward and Virgin islands through today, and over Puerto Rico late Tuesday into Thursday, the hurricane center said.
“The big impact from Ernesto is going to be the rainfall,” NHC Director Michael Brennan said earlier in the week.
At 2 p.m. Tuesday, tropical storm conditions were occurring over portions of the warning area in the Leeward Islands, with tropical storm conditions expected to begin spreading over the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico later Tuesday. Hurricane conditions were also possible over the Virgin Islands, and Vieques and Culebra in Puerto Rico on Tuesday evening into Wednesday.
A storm surge was expected to raise water levels by as much as 1 to 3 feet above ground level for the eastern coast of Puerto Rico from San Juan to Guayama, including Culebra and Vieques, and in the U.S. Virgin Islands, including St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix.
Swells generated by Ernesto were affecting portions of the
Leeward Islands and Virgin Islands and were expected to spread westward to Puerto Rico later Tuesday.
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