Massive power outage strikes Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico faced a massive power outage on December 31, leaving most of the island without electricity. The blackout, which began early Tuesday morning, impacted nearly all of Puerto Rico, with only critical facilities like hospitals restored by 9 p.m. "We've been without electric power since 5:30 this morning, so we're stocking up here to turn on the generator and sort things out for tonight," said local resident Daisy Negron Gonzalez, who was preparing for potential extended outages.

LUMA Energy, the private company overseeing power distribution, stated that it could take up to 48 hours to fully restore service. "It's going to take a while to get all the power back up, so we're preparing to not be caught off guard for 2-3 days," said local man Elvin Lopez Garcia, as he fueled up his generator. The outage was reportedly caused by a failure in an underground line operated by LUMA, which knocked out both public and private power sources. LUMA spokesperson Ivan Baez confirmed that the failed line disrupted power plants and private generators.

In response to the crisis, Governor Pedro Pierluisi urged both LUMA and Genera to expedite the restoration process, calling for swift action in a social media post. The incident underscores ongoing concerns about Puerto Rico's aging electrical grid, which has faced chronic outages and challenges, especially after Hurricane Maria's devastating impact in 2017.