Hurricane FIONA lashes Puerto Rico, causes massive landfall, power outage

Puerto Rico: Hurricane FIONA caused “historic” levels of rain and struck Puerto Richo’s southwest coast on Sunday, September 19, 2022. The calamity resulted in an island-wide power blackout and massive destruction. The downpour produces landslides and catastrophic flooding, with up to 25 inches possible in isolated places. 

As per the U.S. National Hurricane Centre, FIONA smashed about 15 miles south-southeast of Mayaguez with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph. It was moving to the northwest at nine mph (15 kph). 

The skies across the island were covered with the clouds of the TS FIONA and the force winds extended as far as 140 miles from the tropical storm’s centre. President of the United States- Joe Biden, also announced a state of emergency in its territory. The storm has totally approached the southwest corner of the island. 

Health centres across the island have been running for generations, and many of them turned out to be failed. The island was struck by the Fiona two days before the anniversary of Hurricane Maria, a devastating Category 4 storm that hit on September 18, 2017. It destroyed the island’s power grid and caused around 3000 lives. More than 3,000 homes still have only a blue tarp as a roof, and infrastructure remains vulnerable. The storm is out on Puerto Rico’s southern coast yet has not fully recovered from a string of earthquakes starting in late 2019. 

As per the official reports, several road closures across the island as trees and small landslides block access. More than 640 people with some 70 pets had sought shelter across the island by Saturday night, most of which belong to the southern coast.

Power grid of the country was razed by Hurricane Maria and remains frail, with reconstruction starting only recently. Outages were at a daily occurrence.

In the southwest town of El Combate, hotel co-owner Tomás River asserted that he was prepared but worried about the “enormous” amount of rain they were expected. He mentioned that a nearby wildlife refuge was eerily quiet.