Power2PR
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AT A LOSS ON HOW TO HELP THE PEOPLE OF PUERTO RICO?
HERE'S A WAY TO HELP RIGHT NOW.
AHF supplies
make their way to Puerto Rico
Carmen Cruz, Mayor of San Juan Puerto Rico Thanking AHF
AHF Puerto Rico Hurricane Maria Efforts
Puerto Rico hit with new power outage
On the same day Puerto Rico's governor celebrated power generation on the island reaching 50% of capacity, the lights went out in the San Juan metro area.
The source of Wednesday's outage was the same main north-south transmission line that failed last Thursday, leaving swaths of the capital without power for hours, officials said. But the latest interruption appeared to cover a larger area, including Bayamon, Guaynabo, San Juan, Carolina and other municipalities, said Justo González Torres, director of power generation for the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, known as PREPA.
The outage came hours after Gov. Ricardo Rosselló tweeted that the power authority had completed its stated goal of 50% generation for Wednesday.
San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz promptly replied via Twitter, telling the governor the percentage of power generation "has just changed" and the municipal medical center and other buildings were in the dark. Shortly after noon, PREPA tweeted that power had been restored to the medical center and several other locations.
With the latest outage, power generation plummeted from 50% to 22% of capacity, PREPA said on Twitter Wednesday afternoon. It later rose to 29%, the utility company said, noting that the goal is to reach 80% by the end of the month. González said capacity had reached 49.9% on Tuesday, and 50% for part of Wednesday morning. Much of Puerto Rico has been without power since Hurricane Maria smashed the island on September 20.
"What has happened today shows that what the government is saying has nothing to do with what's really happening in the country, said Christian Ibarra, 30, a writer for an ad agency in San Juan.
"It's a reflection that's laid bare years of improvisation. The same people always lose. This has caused an economic and humanitarian collapse that would be unacceptable in any other state in the US."
Ibarra added, "What should amaze us is that things are getting worse and being done worse each time. It's about basic services in the 21st century." A post on the Facebook page of the Plaza Las Americas mall seemed to capture the sentiment of many Puerto Ricans frustrated with the island's recovery.
"You'd laugh if only you weren't crying," it said, adding that the mall had to close for the day.
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AHF IS ALREADY ON THE GROUND PROVIDING POWER GENERATORS, SATELLITE PHONES AND OTHER LIFE-SAVING SUPPLIES TO ALL REGIONS OF PUERTO RICO THAT HAVE BEEN RAVAGED BY HURRICANE MARIA. YOU CAN HELP US NOW TO CONTINUE THESE DELIVERIES. YOUR DONATIONS TO POWER 2 PUERTO RICO WILL IMMEDIATELY GO TOWARDS BUYING AND SUPPLYING THESE ITEMS, AND DELIVERING THEM TO THOSE WHO NEED THEM THE MOST.
A Real Response to a Humanitarian Crisis
POWER TO PUERTO RICO: a cutting-edge digital social media Digital Fundraising Drive, developed and executed by AHF and various Corporate and Media Partners. #POWER2PR aims to raise additional monies for First Responder Cargo Planes that have been taking life-saving power generators and supplies to Puerto Rico. AHF hopes to increase these efforts through Power to Puerto Rico, providing even more relief to the Island.
Last week, AHF became a First Responder to the crisis in Puerto Rico by chartering private cargo planes to carry life-saving power generators and supplies to the Island. Even with the support and aid now pouring into the region, and with the shift of attention to other tragic national matters of concern, more attention and help for Puerto Rico is still seriously needed. By harnessing the grass-roots social power and resources of AHF, in collaboration with our Media/Corporate Sponsors we can unite to literally save thousands of lives.
We aim to reach a broad base of previously untapped resources. All proceeds from Power to Puerto Rico will go directly to purchasing and transporting generators and supplies to Puerto Rico.
Hurricane Maria knocked out most of Puerto Rico's electrical systems, leaving 3.4 million people in the dark. Officials have suggested it will take four to six months for power to be restored. By charting private cargo planes with life-saving power generators and supplies, AHF is extending outreach of support into the hardest hit regions of Puerto Rico.
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