Another Massive Blackout Struck Puerto Rico Last Night | Zero Hedge
Description: "They’ve been thrown back in time by a hundred years, with no power, no running water, and damaged homes..."

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# Another Massive Blackout Struck Puerto Rico Last Night

Authored by Daisy Luther via The Organic Prepper blog,

Last night, an explosion at a San Juan power plant regressed Puerto Rico’s efforts to restore power to the island five months after Hurricane Maria struck a massive blow.

Much of Northern Puerto Rico has suffered another blackout, including the capital city.

> The island’s Electric Power Authority said several municipalities were without power, including parts of the capital, San Juan, but they were optimistic it could be restored within a day as they worked to repair a substation that controls voltage…

> …It was not immediately known what caused Sunday’s fire, which was quickly extinguished. Officials said the explosion knocked two other substations offline and caused a total loss of 400 megawatts worth of generation. (source)

Before this explosion, more than a million people were still without power from the Category 4 hurricane that struck the island on Sept. 20, 2017. They’ve been thrown back in time by a hundred years, with no power, no running water, and damaged homes.

This is a prime example of how disasters aren’t just one-time occurrences. They’re very often followed by subsequent disasters.

Think about it. Fires are often followed by floods which are followed by mudslides and sinkholes. (See California for reference.) The tsunami in Japan was followed by a nuclear plant disaster. Hurricane Harvey in Texas had storm surges and floods that caused a chemical plant to explode a few days later. Now, this already-stressed infrastructure has crumbled again under it’s increasing demand.

### Power has been restored to a few critical locations.

This is one situation in which living in a more populated area can benefit you. After last night’s explosion, workers were quick to restore power to specific locations.

> By late Sunday, electricity workers had been able to restore power to key locations, including the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Carolina, as well as the Medical Center. (source)

As well, after Hurricane Maria, the first areas to resume some form of normalcy were the ones with higher population. San Juan saw it’s power restored immediately but people in more remote areas are still waiting. And not just a few people.

Vox estimated that 1.36 million Americans are still without electricity. You’ll see other numbers that say 400,000, but that is counting households, not individuals.

> The US Army Corps of Engineers… estimated that Puerto Rico would need 50,000 utility poles and 6,500 miles of cable to restore its power system…

> …When an electrical circuit is open or broken, the power doesn’t flow, whether that’s a flashlight or a phone.

> It’s a simple concept, but when it happens in the electricity grid — what engineers say is the largest, most complex machine ever built — it quickly becomes a byzantine problem.

> With thousands of miles of transmission lines, gigawatts of generation, computers that route power, frequency regulators, and transformers that all serve the constantly fluctuating needs of millions of people, lots of things can go wrong. Generators can shut down. Transformers can explode. Power demand and supply can fall out of balance.

> By far the most common cause of blackouts is damage to power lines, which are the most vulnerable part of the electrical grid to storms.

> “In a disruption like this, it’s transmission and distribution,” Marsters said. “Damage does occur to generation assets, but those are point specific and you can get those back online in a reasonable time.”

> …Puerto Ricans are now desperately trying to connect the main power arteries to individual homes, and some have resorted to their own makeshift repairs, mounting their own utility poles and stringing up low-voltage transmission lines. (source)

But even before Hurricane Maria made landfall, things with the infrastructure were dire.

### The power grid in Puerto Rico was in rough shape BEFORE Maria

Even before the hurricane devastated the island, the infrastructure was in terrible shape, a fact underlined by last night’s explosion.

> The blast illustrated the challenges of restoring a power grid that was already crumbling before it was devastated by the Category 4 hurricane.

> In many cases, power workers are repairing equipment that should have long been replaced but remained online due to the power authority’s yearslong financial crisis. PREPA is worth roughly $4 billion, carries $9 billion in debt and has long been criticized for political patronage and inefficiency. It also struggled with frequent blackouts, including an island-wide outage in September 2016. (source)

Before Maria made landfall, I wrote an article that predicted a long haul to get power restored.

> It’s entirely possible that Hurricane Maria will put the island in the dark for quite some time to come, completely changing their way of life. 70,000 people are still without power from their bout with Irma, and much more damage to the utility system is expected. Gov. Rossello said:

> “We will not have sustainable electric infrastructure in the near future. We will be bringing in crews from outside of Puerto Rico to attend to these measures.”(source)

> Philipe Schoene Roura, the editor of a San Juan, Puerto Rico-based newspaper, Caribbean Business, wrote:

> Prepa Executive Director Ricardo Ramos Rodríguez recently said the powerlines carrying electricity in the public corporation’s system are in such a deteriorated state that a strong storm could leave the island without power for weeks.

> “To give you a number, if during Hurricane Georges 100 lines went down in 1998, today the same [kind of ] hurricane would bring down 1,000,” the official candidly told Caribbean Business when asked about the possibility of Prepa’s system effectively withstanding the onslaught of a similar storm.

> “The lifespan of most of Prepa’s equipment has expired. There is a risk that in light of this dismal infrastructure situation, a large atmospheric event hitting Puerto Rico could wreak havoc because we are talking about a very vulnerable and fragile system at the moment,” Ramos added…

> …Francisco Guerrero (a fictitious name to protect his identity), a Prepa field worker for 23 years, said it would take months for Prepa to bring up Puerto Rico’s power system should a hurricane like Harvey strike the island.

> The lack of linemen and other technical personnel, as well as a lack of equipment—including replacement utility poles for powerlines and replacement parts—are the issues of greatest concern among public corporation employees, who say they risk their lives working with equipment in poor condition that provides them with little safety.

> Guerrero said that today only 580 linemen remain out of the 1,300 who were part of the workforce in previous years—and that’s not counting the upcoming retirement of another 90 linemen. Likewise, he said there are only 300 electrical line testers to serve the entire island.

> The source also said that much of Prepa’s equipment dates back to the 1950s—and the more “modern” equipment that is still functional dates from the 1990s; in other words, it’s from the past century.

> “If a hurricane like this one [Harvey] hits us, the system is not going to come online, I’d say, in over six months. Right now, the warehouses don’t even have materials. I’m talking about utility poles and other stuff,” Guerrero explained.

> “How can you say that you have equipment that dates back to the 1950s and you are not buying parts to repair them? When it’s time for maintenance work, you don’t have the part and you leave things as they are, but there is an entry in the log saying maintenance was done. And yes, it was done, but the most important thing was not done, which was to replace that part,” he added.

> Although he did not assign the debacle to former Prepa Chief Restructuring Officer Lisa Donahue’s order to stop buying supplies as the main cause for the lack of materials, he is certain the order was “the straw that broke the camel’s back.” (source)

Many people thought it was a ridiculous premise and that power would be up and running within a couple of weeks. But it turns out, that was cognitive dissonance. This situation is all the proof you need to see that things can change overnight.

Go watch this video to see what everyday life is like in Puerto Rico for nearly half a million people.

### Do you think things will ever be the same in Puerto Rico?

Have the residents of the island been permanently thrown back into Third World status? Will the power ever be fully restored? And considering they’re Americans too, isn’t it rather embarrassing that we aren’t doing more to aid in the recovery?

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## Comments

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directaction Mon, 02/12/2018 - 20:56 Permalink

Dang, Puerto Rico just can’t get a break.

Mostly pretty decent people there, too.

The riff raff are all on the mainland

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IridiumRebel directaction Mon, 02/12/2018 - 20:57 Permalink

Nope!

In reply to Dang Puerto Rico just can’t… by directaction

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stizazz IridiumRebel Mon, 02/12/2018 - 20:58 Permalink

"They’ve been thrown back in time by a hundred years"

That's nothing compared to what Apartheid Israhell is doing to the Palestinians.

In reply to Nope! by IridiumRebel

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youarelost stizazz Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:01 Permalink

When your Palestinian buddies harbor terrorists, they get treated like them

In reply to "They’ve been thrown back in… by stizazz

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lloll youarelost Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:03 Permalink

You're right. Their land is harboring or has been taken over by Jewish terrorists all over.

In reply to When your Palestinian… by youarelost

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pc_babe lloll Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:04 Permalink

1 month Troll-tard

In reply to You're right. Their land is… by lloll

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lloll pc_babe Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:06 Permalink

Geriatric troll-tard who has nothing better to do than trolling those who disagree with its saggy ass.

In reply to 1 month Troll-tard by pc_babe

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tmosley lloll Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:13 Permalink

"Americans"

lol

In reply to Geriatric troll-tard. by lloll

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overbet tmosley Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:18 Permalink

Give the island to the DACA illegals. Let them rebuild it and stay there. Let's test liberal's claim that theyre a positive contribution to society. Guaranteed it would be Mexico II in a year.

In reply to "Americans" lol by tmosley

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shankster overbet Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:31 Permalink

If they were a positive contribution to society Mexico wouldn't be a dangerous 3rd world Hell-Hole.

In reply to Give the island to the DACA… by overbet

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toady overbet Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:32 Permalink

Shitholes gonna be shitholes.... if they want a functional electric grid someone is gonna have to get off their ass and make it work.

They can't just lay around expecting someone else to fix it if they want electricity.

In reply to Give the island to the DACA… by overbet

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are we there yet toady Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:58 Permalink

Puerto Rico needs more Anglo geeks to solve their problems. Their present politically correct Spanish speaking brown leaders are hopelessly incompetent and corrupt. The ugly truth of history is if you vote for a brown face because you are brown, you will have a bad outcome.

In reply to Shitholes gonna be shitholes… by toady

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tmosley overbet Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:39 Permalink

Holy shit what an amazing idea! Send all the illegals there!

Maybe be kinda like that movie "No Escape".

In reply to Give the island to the DACA… by overbet

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are we there yet overbet Mon, 02/12/2018 - 22:05 Permalink

Puerto Rico would be a beautiful place except for the Puerto Ricans.

In reply to Give the island to the DACA… by overbet

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pc_babe lloll Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:55 Permalink

dont take offense ... you wear your bigotry as well as the next onanist.

In reply to Geriatric troll-tard. by lloll

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jcaz pc_babe Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:07 Permalink

Yeah, that's too bad, but here's the thing- we've already dumped enough money down this shithole since the storm to re-power the entire fucking island six times over- where's all THAT money gone????

Let's ask that scumbag mayor chick......

In reply to 1 month Troll-tard by pc_babe

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MK ULTRA Alpha jcaz Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:22 Permalink

It was mostly likely sabotage. We need to evacuate Puerto Rico and sell it.

We can sell it to the highest bidder with a starting auction bid at $1 trillion. Want an island?

I'm sure a country or group of billionaires could buy it. It would do wonders for the deficit and all that new labor and consumers, we can call it the reverse Dreamer act, send the Dreamers back home and replace them with the American Dream resettlement act, and be paid over a trillion to do it. We can put a rider on the bill, people from Puerto Rico can be settled in Alaska. Land, housing everything.

Now that's a budget fix deal, instead of rebuilding cost and paying off the old debt which was in default, transfer the remaining people to Alaska, sell Puerto Rico, use the over a trillion to pay off the old debt, settle the people in southern and western Alaska, (bulwark against invasion) and use the rest of the money from the sale to lower the budget deficit.

In reply to Yeah, that's too bad, but… by jcaz

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whether underground MK ULTRA Alpha Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:32 Permalink

F yes. Best post on this thread.

The only problem is that I think you're being sarcastic....

In reply to It was mostly likely… by MK ULTRA Alpha

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MK ULTRA Alpha whether underground Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:43 Permalink

No, I'm serious, the cost to rebuild Puerto Rico, pay off their debt and to pay for all the people who've already evacuated would bankrupt this country. We'll be paying in the $50 billion to $80 billion range for decades. It'll cost a trillion.

The families who've already evacuated are costing tax payers, hundreds of thousands are flowing in, local and state resources are being used, this is an expensive event. Hundreds of thousands of children will be enrolled in local schools, the cost will go through the roof.

Before another hurricane hits, it might be a good idea to just evacuate the island and sell it. Pay for resettlement, pay off the islands huge debt, and use the rest to lower the US deficit.

I chose Alaska for a resettlement zone because of the availability of land. Many are agriculture workers, low skilled and would be more than happy for a tract of farm land, even though it does get cold. A trillion dollars can go a long way, government land, buildings, house etc. Alaska the Last Frontier.

40 acres and a John Deere

In reply to F yes. Best post on this… by whether underground

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manofthenorth MK ULTRA Alpha Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:54 Permalink

Alaska invites you and the dreamers to go fuck themselves....................

this is no land for the weak of flesh and mind.

Agriculture here in the far north is VERY challenging and those used to mild climates would not last the first winter.

On January 17, 1980 in McGrath, AK the low of -54F was followed the next day by a high of +41F a swing of 95F in a little over 24 hours, not for the faint of heart.

On a side note, the federal government owns about 90% of Alaska and they are not giving up a single acre.

For the last 30 years they have been accumulating all the old abandoned homesteads they can get their hands on and annexing them into the federal holdings.

In reply to No, I'm serious, the cost to… by MK ULTRA Alpha

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MEFOBILLS MK ULTRA Alpha Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:35 Permalink

We can sell it to the highest bidder with a starting auction bid at $1 trillion. Want an island?

Take a look at a map. Puerto Rico and Cuba are strategic for protecting America's coastline from Maritime attack. I'm glad you are not in charge.

Any sort of leader that had a pair of testicles, would shore up his countries coastlines, and that includes California. It is easier to export the people, or not let them breed, rather than lose the lands.

In reply to It was mostly likely… by MK ULTRA Alpha

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NoDebt MK ULTRA Alpha Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:47 Permalink

"We can sell it to the highest bidder"

Maybe Spain would want it back. That's who we got it from after all. Of course, the "minimum bid" would be the outstanding notional value of their municipal debt, which Spain couldn't afford anyway.

Maybe Russia would be interested. They could call it "Cuba 2"

Or... OR... we could do what we do best- send in a bunch of troops and cause the island to capsize (The Hank Johnson option).

Oh, my God, I could do this ENDLESSLY. I need to punch out to another thread before I OD on this shit.

In reply to It was mostly likely… by MK ULTRA Alpha

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ebworthen jcaz Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:33 Permalink

Just wait for the birth spike 9 months from now and pleas for more: Doctors, Nurses, supplies, money, and boats to the mainland for Mom and the wastral(s).

In reply to Yeah, that's too bad, but… by jcaz

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shankster ebworthen Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:40 Permalink

And that's just in Miami-Dade..

In reply to Just wait for the birth… by ebworthen

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107cicero youarelost Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:23 Permalink

The first terrorists in Palestine were Israelis. Ben Gurion and buddies in July 1946 bombed the king David hotel in Jerusalem in 1946 killing Bernadotte the great-grandson of Napoleon's Marshal Bernadotte who was working for the United Nations. Something like 50 died. None of them soldiers.

One man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist and visa versa.

So don't give me your biased delusional crap!!

In reply to When your Palestinian… by youarelost

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Freddie youarelost Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:27 Permalink

The libtard San Juan mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz. What kind of name is Yulin? Russian. She is a chosenite. Puerto Rico's banks have lots of Chosunite hispanics or in Miami known as Jubans.

They looted Puerto Rico and tanked the banks just like they loot other places. This is the main reason PR is so f*cked up.

In reply to When your Palestinian… by youarelost

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Augustus stizazz Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:56 Permalink

The Palestinian muzzies never progressed as far as the 18th century. Herding goats and pillaging their neighbors is all thy know. Even the Egyptians won't all them entry.

In reply to "They’ve been thrown back in… by stizazz

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SMG IridiumRebel Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:00 Permalink

Throw the corrupt assholes running the power company out. Put competent Americans in. Problem fixed.

In reply to Nope! by IridiumRebel

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gmrpeabody SMG Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:23 Permalink

That's racit...

In reply to Throw the corrupt assholes… by SMG

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IridiumRebel Mon, 02/12/2018 - 20:57 Permalink

Putos electricidad!

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Golden Showers IridiumRebel Mon, 02/12/2018 - 22:10 Permalink

I just wonder about N. Tesla when I read stories like this. Also I feel bad for the needless suffering of innocent people who live on an island that also houses the IRS DBase. (Why it's called the RICO Act because it's a jucking foke.) Perhaps if it was possible to harness the energy of the Maria, PR could be a net energy producer once in a while. But it sucks, and being a protectorate of the US makes the US look like a sucking FLUMLORD.

In reply to Putos electricidad! by IridiumRebel

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Déjà view Mon, 02/12/2018 - 20:58 Permalink

Maria...Madre en el cielo...

'Florico'...stock up on black beans & lead...

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cheech_wizard Mon, 02/12/2018 - 20:59 Permalink

Puerto Rico needs a healthy dose of independence.

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Salzburg1756 cheech_wizard Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:01 Permalink

So does USrael.

In reply to Puerto Rico needs a healthy… by cheech_wizard

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Pernicious Gol… cheech_wizard Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:16 Permalink

If that happened it would become a Chinese missile base.

In reply to Puerto Rico needs a healthy… by cheech_wizard

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navy62802 Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:02 Permalink

PR should just adopt the African approach and schedule different sections of the island for electrical power at different times since they don't have the ability to power all homes all the time.

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Pernicious Gol… Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:03 Permalink

Most major disasters are preceded by bad decisions. Like spending levy money on a yacht club. Or spending bond proceeds intended for upgrading an antiquated electrical system on graft. Or spending aid money intended for repairing a hurricane-damaged antiquated electrical system on hookers and blow.

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serotonindumptruck Pernicious Gol… Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:05 Permalink

Well, you don't have to be sarcastic about it.

In reply to Most major disasters are… by Pernicious Gol…

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izzee Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:07 Permalink

Add to This the "strange Powder" attack on Trump jr wife who opened the envelope.

TESTING the PUBLIC Response to what is planned.

If WE Lose the Narrative???? In the pipe for U Mr and Mrs American

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hanekhw Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:08 Permalink

The stability of a power infrastructure is on an inverse to the level of general corruption.

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bIlluminati Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:10 Permalink

The ambitious ones moved to the U.S. mainland decades ago. What's left are the old, the politicians, the least ambitious of the last 60 years, and their children and grandchildren. It's still Spanish in its way of thinking - manana, the elite don't work with their hands, the middle class wants to become the elite. Electricity is a public (socialized) utility. 50 Utility poles in reserve aren't enough to deal with a hurricane. And the generators are so old they don't have any sources for critical spare parts. Plus any competent lineman, tester, or supervisor will be paid better on the mainland.

Puerto Rico rots from the top down - money for welfare, but no money for maintenance. These things get decided at the top level. Then their "leaders" hope they can beg for free stuff, just like any other free stuff army.

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Dragon HAwk Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:13 Permalink

We'd Love to sell you Cable, but you haven't paid us for the cable we sold you 4 years ago..

I can see why they are hitting a few snags.

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Juggernaut x2 Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:13 Permalink

Puerto Ricans aren't Americans

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Semi-employed … Juggernaut x2 Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:23 Permalink

Here in Florida they do love to fly the PR flag. American flag not so much. You'd think they'd want to be independent from us.

In reply to Puerto Ricans aren't… by Juggernaut x2

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thebigunit Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:14 Permalink

For decades, Puerto Rico has been dithering about whether they want to be a state, or be independent, of just remain a commonwealth.

It's time for us to help Puerto Rico decide.

Since they are no longer useful as a naval base, their only purpose is to be a welfare basket case and a periodic natural disaster.

Time for Puerto Rican independence.

Buh-bye.

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Herodotus thebigunit Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:19 Permalink

Return it to Spain with a C-47 full of dollar bills as an inducement and get the King to sign a hold harmless agreement.

In reply to For decades, Puerto Rico has… by thebigunit

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tmosley Herodotus Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:41 Permalink

Dump all the DACAs and other illegals there first.

In reply to Return it to Spain with a C… by Herodotus

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Herodotus thebigunit Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:22 Permalink

.

In reply to For decades, Puerto Rico has… by thebigunit

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Semi-employed … thebigunit Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:22 Permalink

Aren't you glad Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders "won" PR for us?

In reply to For decades, Puerto Rico has… by thebigunit

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Herodotus Mon, 02/12/2018 - 21:16 Permalink

Si, es muy negro.

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