#11,755
Roughly 6 hours after I posted National Preparedness Month blog earlier today on the need to prepare for prolonged power outages (see #NatlPrep: Revisiting The Lloyds Blackout Scenario) the island of Puerto Rico experienced a major power failure.
Details are scant at this time, and we don't know the exact cause of the outage, the extent of the damage, or how long the power will be out.
Hopefully the power will be restored quickly, but this is a timely reminder that extended power outages are one of the most common emergencies we should all be prepared for.
The Associated Press is reporting:
Puerto Rico Hit With Island-Wide Blackout After Fire Erupts
A big fire erupted at an electricity plant that powers most of Puerto Rico on Wednesday, and a blackout swept across the U.S. territory of 3.5 million people.The Electric Power Authority said two transmission lines of 230,000 volts each failed for reasons still being investigated. Spokeswoman Yohari Molina said in a phone interview that it was unclear when power would be restored.The island's fire department said it extinguished a blaze at the power plant in southern Puerto Rico that serves a majority of customers on the island. Heavy storms were affecting the area where the plant is.
