Page 6 - WEB

A12 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 17 July 2018
Puerto Ricans return to power grid, but fear for long term

By DANICA COTO months, retiree Ramon
Associated Press Serrano watched the 11
ADJUNTAS, Puerto Rico o'clock news on a recent
(AP) — It was finally a night weeknight and was at
to celebrate in this village peace knowing the insulin
tucked into the mountains he depends on was safe in
of central Puerto Rico. a cold refrigerator. He went
People pressed TV remote to bed at midnight with his
buttons, clicked on fans wife.
and plugged in refrigera- "It's the latest we've been
tors as electricity again up," said the 77-year-old
flowed into homes that Serrano, who lives in Adjun-
had been without power tas.
since two major hurricanes The wait for electricity was
devastated the U.S. terri- too much for some in the
tory nearly a year ago. village.
Lights are slowly coming on Mayra Natal, a 47-year-
for the more than 950 homes old housewife, said she left
and businesses across Puer- Puerto Rico in February to
to Rico that remain without live with relatives in New
power in hard-to-reach Jersey for four months be-
areas. Repair crews are cause she couldn't take
sometimes forced to dig being without electricity
holes by hand and scale anymore. She returned in
down steep mountainsides May thinking power would
to reach damaged light be restored soon, only to
posts. Electrical poles have spend two more months
to be ferried in one-by-one without it despite prom-
via helicopter. ises from power restoration
It is slow work, and it has crews.
stretched nearly two "They kept saying, 'Next
months past the date when week, next week.' And
officials had promised that that's what it's been like un-
everyone in Puerto Rico til now," she said.
would be energized. Some Puerto Ricans are still
And even as TVs glow into waiting to celebrate.
the night and people like Outside a pastel green
20-year-old delivery man home perched on a re-
Steven Vilella once again mote mountain surrounded
savor favorite foods like by lush palm trees, 90-year-
shrimp and Rocky Road old Domingo Ortiz sits wait-
ice cream, many fear their In this July 12, 2018 photo, a laborer from the Puerto Rico Power Authority works to restore power ing.
newly returned normality in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico. He hasn't had power since
could be short-lived. Tur- Associated Press Hurricane Irma and burned
moil at the island's power through more than 200
company and recent winds Irma. tions. But Gov. Ricardo Ros- tion. candles until a group of
and rains that knocked out The only power they had sello warns that there is no The changes at the power volunteers gave him solar
electricity to tens of thou- for 10 months was courtesy backup system yet in case company, which include lamps this past Tuesday
sands of people at the start of a neighbor who threw the power goes out again, the resignation of five after navigating their way
of the new hurricane sea- over a thin yellow extension which it did for up to 47,000 board members Thursday up a steep road filled with
son have them worried. cord connected to his gen- customers when the rem- after the governor criti- deep holes.
"If another storm comes erator that provided just nants of what was once cized a $750,000 salary for They also gave him a solar-
through, we're going to enough power to light one Tropical Storm Beryl lashed the newest CEO, are not a powered inverter and a
die. There's no money left bulb in her kitchen and an- Puerto Rico with rain and surprise to Juan Rosario, the small refrigerator it runs. He
here," said 66-year-old Mar- other in her living room for wind in early July. board's former consumer and his two sons have filled
ta Bermudez, who still has a couple hours each day. A further complication is representative. the refrigerator with four
a blue tarp over her rusting Puerto Rico's electrical grid the lack of leadership at "The best thing to do when bottles of water, a six-pack
zinc roof. She doesn't be- is still shaky after Hurricane Puerto Rico's Electric Power a boat is sinking is to jump of soda and a package of
lieve the government has Irma brushed past the is- Authority, which has seen into the water," he said. meat stuffed into the tiny
enough resources to prop- land as a Category 5 storm four directors since Maria, Still, despite the instability at freezer.
erly rebuild the power grid last Sept. 6 and then Hurri- the most recent one lasting the power company and Every day, Ortiz looks at the
amid an 11-year-old reces- cane Maria made a direct only a day in the job. their worries over the pow- lone light post in front of his
sion. hit as a Category 4 storm The turnover comes as fed- er grid's ability to survive house and the downed ca-
Still, after power was re- two weeks later, damaging eral and local officials try this year's hurricane sea- ble that lies curled nearby.
stored to her house on Fri- up to 75 percent of trans- to strengthen the power son, Puerto Ricans in the Asked what is the first thing
day, she celebrated no mission lines. grid in the middle of a new remote areas that recently he will do after getting
longer having to eat a diet More than 52,000 power hurricane season and as had electricity restored are power back, he gestured
of mostly rice, bananas poles have been installed Puerto Rico's government happy they can go back to toward an old boom box
and soup or wash clothes and thousands of miles of prepares to privatize the their previous lives and no sitting on his porch.
by hand in a sink that she cable secured, with some generation of electricity longer have to drain sav- "I'm going to turn that on
and her husband found on 180 generators still provid- and award concessions for ings to fuel generators. and dance a little from
the street after Hurricane ing power at key loca- transmission and distribu- For the first time in 10 happiness," he said.q