Over 1M Puerto Ricans without power days after Fiona

Half of Puerto Rico is without power more than five days after Hurricane Fiona struck — including an entire town where not a single work crew has arrived.

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Hormigueros ,Puerto Rico ,United States ,Utuado ,Guaynabo ,Ociales ,Aguadilla ,Puerto Ricans ,Marcel Castro Sitiriche ,Cathy Kunkel ,Daniel Hern ,Alexander Burgos ,Luis Rivera ,Julio Rold ,Pedro Pierluisi ,Elizabeth Gonz ,Edward Oneill ,University Of Puerto Rico ,Power Authority ,Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority ,Hurricane Fiona ,Electric Power Authority ,Hurricane Maria ,Mayor Ram ,Mayor Julio Rold ,Puerto Rico Based ,Half Of Puerto Rico Is Without Power More Than Five Days After Hurricane Fiona Struck Including An Entire Town Where Nota Single Work Crew Has Arrived Many On The Us Territory Are Angry And Incredulous ,Nd Calls Are Growing For The Ouster Of Islands Private Electricity Transmission And Distribution Company Fuel Disruptions Worsening Situation ,Orcing Grocery Stores ,As Stations And Other Businesses To Close Leaving Apartment Buildings In The Dark Because There Is No Diesel For Generators Many Are Questioning Why It Taking So Long Restore Power Since Fiona Wasa Category 1 Storm That Did Not Affect Entire Island ,Nd Whose Rain Not Wind Inflicted The Greatest Damage Its Normal ,Aid Marcel Castro Sitiriche ,N Electrical Engineering Professor At The University Of Puerto Rico In Mayaguez They Have Not Givena Convincing Explanation What Problem Is He Noted That Ricos Electric Power Authority And Luma ,A Private Company That Took Over The Islands Power Transmission And Distribution Last Year ,Lso Have Not Released Basic Information Such As Details Of The Damage To Electricity Grid We Dont Know Extent Yet ,Castro Said ,Dding That He Was Concerned And Surprised Luma Had Not Brought In Additional Crews To Boost Extra Manpower Already On The Island Has Said Fionas Floods Left Several Substations Underwater Inaccessible ,Nd It Has Insisted Doesnt Need More Personnel We Have All The Resources Believe ,Aid Luma Engineer Daniel Hernández The Lack Of Power Has Prompted At Least Two Mayors To Activate Own Repair Teams ,Nd Several Other Town Leaders Are Calling For Answers On Why Luma Crews Have Not Reconnected Homes And Key Infrastructure They Havent Even Arrived Here ,Aid Yasmín Allende ,Unicipal Administrator For Hormigueros ,A Town In Western Puerto Rico That Is Home To More Than 15 ,600 People ,Any Of Them Elderly She Said Town Officials Have Provideda List Downed Transformers And Power Lines As Well The Exact Location Dozens Damaged Electric Posts They Even Cleared Openings Around Spots To Ensure That Electricity Could Be Restored Soon Possible ,He Said Everything Is Ready For Them So They Can Come And Do Their Job ,Llende Said All They Have To Do Is Show Up Elizabeth González ,Ho Lives In Hormigueros ,Aid She Was Forced To Throw Out Two Bags Of Meat Friday And Is Struggling Buy More Gasoline For Her Generator ,Ven As Her Husband ,Ho Has Cancer ,Epends On It González Said She Is Fed Up With Puerto Ricos Power Grid Its Useless ,S Simple As That ,He Said Ifa Hurricane Comes ,F Rain Comes ,Ra Little Gust Of Wind ,He Power Quickly Goes Out The Islands Grid Was Already Crumbling Due To Austerity Measures ,Ging Infrastructure And Lack Of Maintenance Whena Powerful Hurricane Maria Razed The System In 2017 Reconstruction Grid Had Barely Started When Fiona Hit Last Sunday First Days Following ,Uma Officials And Gov Pedro Pierluisi Promised That The Vast Majority Of Customers Would Soon Have Their Electricity Back But As Late Friday ,Ore Than 40 Of 1 47 Million Customers Were Still In The Dark Addition ,7 Of 1 3 Million Water And Sewer Customers Did Not Have In Part Because Pumps Rely On Electricity All Had Backup Generators Neither Luma Nor Puerto Ricos Power Generating Utility Said When Will Be Restored To The Most Affected Areas They Only That Hospitals Other Critical Infrastructure Are Their Priority Situation Has Outraged Many Ricans ,Ncluding Local Government Officialsi Am Not Going To Accept Excuses ,Aid Alexander Burgos ,Ayor In The Central Mountain Town Of Ciales Our Power Lines Are Up ,Here Are No Electrical Posts On The Ground ,Nd We Are Ready To Be Connected Edwardo Neill ,Ayor Of The Northern Town Guaynabo ,Weeted That Lumas Bad Performance Was Unacceptableo Neill ,Ho Worked For Both The Puerto Ricos Power Company And Luma ,Aid His Municipality Has Collected All Necessary Information To Help Crews Restore Power But Not Seen Any Results In The Northern Town Of Bayamon ,Ayor Ramón Luis Rivera Got Tired Of Waiting And Contracted Independent Repair Crews That Began Work Friday Afternoon ,Lthough They Were Not Handling Live Wires Aguadilla Mayor Julio Roldán Announced He Was Doing The Same In His Northwest Coastal Town ,Saying ,E Re Depending On Other People To Stay Alive We Ve Had It The Mayor Of Central Mountain Town Utuado Said No One In His Municipality 28 ,000 People Had Power And Accused Luma Of Making Residents Unnecessarily Suffer The Mayor Western Town Moca Echoed Those Sentiments ,Aying Luma Has Not Wanted To Assume Its Responsibilities Cathy Kunkel ,A Puerto Rico Based Energy And Finance Analyst ,Aid She Was Surprised Power Had Not Yet Returned To Areas Barely Affected By Fiona ,Ncluding The Capital Of San Juan She Also Questioned Why Luma Has Not Employed Hundreds Experienced Linesmen That Worked With Puerto Ricos Electric Power Authority Before Private Company Took Over Transmission And Distribution In June 2021 We Have This Absurdly Frustrating Situation ,He Said The Old System Is Held Together In Substandard Ways You Actually Want People Who Know How To Work On That Particular Lack Of Power Has Been Linked Several Deaths Authorities Saya 70 Year Man Burned Death When Tried Fill His Running Generator With Gasoline Anda 78 Died From Inhaling Toxic Gases Friday ,Olice Saida 72 Year Old Man Anda 93 Woman Died After Their House Caught On Fire Because They Were Relying Candles For Light Castro Sitiriche ,He Electrical Engineering Professor ,Aid Puerto Ricos Government ,Uma And The Electric Power Authority Are All To Blame It Sa Shared Disaster ,She Said ,Dding That Fiona Wasa Wake Up Call And More People Need To Be Connected Solar Power It Isa Shame The Government Has Not Done Save Lives ,Over 1m Puerto Ricans Without Power Days After Fiona ,