Hurricane Fiona brings heavy winds, Puerto Rico plunged into darkness

The entire island of Puerto Rico has been plunged into darkness as residents brace for the impact of Hurricane Fiona. Governor of Puerto Rico, Pedro Pierluisi on Sunday said the entire island is without electricity.

In a statement, Pierluisi said, “Puerto Rico is 100 percent without power due to a transmission grid failure from Hurricane Fiona.”

The blackout comes five years after Puerto Rico’s power grid was devastated by Hurricane Maria in September 2017, leaving many residents without electricity for months.

Speaking during a news conference on Sunday, Pierluisi warned the storm “will cover our entire island” and noted that winds and rain bands from the storm may extend outward up to 100 to 120 miles.

Meanwhile, Fiona has continued to strengthen and now packs sustained winds of 85 miles per hour.

According to the National Hurricane Center’s update at 2:00 p.m. (local time), Fiona is moving toward the west-northwest near 8 mph.

A northwestward motion is expected to begin on Sunday evening and continue through Monday, followed by a turn toward the north-northwest on Tuesday.

On the forecast track, the center of Fiona will continue to pass near or over southwestern and western Puerto Rico and then move near the northern coast of the Dominican Republic on Sunday night and Monday, and near or to the east of the Turks and Caicos Islands on Tuesday.

Hurricane Fiona is the third storm of the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

CMC/