Hurricane Fiona made landfall this Sunday in southern Puerto Rico, two days before the fifth anniversary of the arrival of Hurricane Maria that devastated the island.
Fiona, which has already plunged all of this US territory into darkness, made landfall at 3:20 p.m. (19:20 GMT) near Punta Tocón (southwest), reported the United States National Hurricane Center (NHC).
The hurricane advances with winds of up to 140 kilometers per hour. At the moment it is category 1, the lowest of the five on the Saffir-Simpson scale, but it is expected to “strengthen further in the next 48 hours,” the NHC said.
The storm has caused a general blackout on the island since shortly after 1:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m. GMT), reported the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, the public corporation in charge of electricity generation.
That entity has already managed to restart several generators, a first step towards reestablishing the electrical network, said its director, Josué Colón, in a television interview.
According to established protocols, once that network is reactivated, the authority will first try to restore service to hospitals and other government buildings that offer essential services.
The Grande de Loiza River and the Cagüitas River, in the north and center of the island, overflowed in some areas, the United States National Weather Service reported on Twitter.
“Communities along these rivers should consider moving to higher ground immediately,” he added.
According to local media, other rivers overflowed in the southeast of the island, flooding roads and urban areas, and in the mountains and the southwest, several families have lost the roof of their houses due to gusts of wind and have had to shelter in government-approved shelters.
In the morning, the governor of Puerto Rico, Pedro Pierluisi, urged the population to take refuge.
“We ask our people to stay home and seek shelter if they need it. We continue under a hurricane warning, ”he declared at a press conference.
