Puerto Rico in state of emergency after most powerful quake in over 100 years
Island rocked by hundreds of earthquakes in recent weeks, killing at least one person and prompting power and water outages
Guardian staff and agencies
Tue 7 Jan 2020
A damaged house on the coast of Guánica,
a municipality in the southwest of Puerto Rico.
Photograph: Thais Llorca/EPA
Puerto Rico’s governor, Wanda Vázquez, declared a state of emergency and activated the national guard on Tuesday after a series of earthquakes including one of magnitude 6.4 that was the most powerful to strike the Caribbean island in 102 years.
The quakes killed at least one person, provoked a protective power outage across the entire island and cut off drinking water to 300,000 customers, Vázquez told a news conference.
A priest inspects damage to the Parroquia
Puerto Rico’s governor, Wanda Vázquez, declared a state of emergency and activated the national guard on Tuesday after a series of earthquakes including one of magnitude 6.4 that was the most powerful to strike the Caribbean island in 102 years.
The quakes killed at least one person, provoked a protective power outage across the entire island and cut off drinking water to 300,000 customers, Vázquez told a news conference.
A priest inspects damage to the Parroquia
Inmaculada Concepción church after a 6.4
earthquake hit just south of the island on
Tuesday. Photograph: Eric Rojas/Getty Images
At least 346 people were left homeless, officials said, as homes were flattened, mostly in the south of the island. Many damaged buildings sat next to piles of rubble.
The declaration of emergency will facilitate federal financial aid for the US territory. Vázquez said she had been in contact with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema).
Several members of Congress, including Florida’s two US senators and Puerto Rico’s non-voting member of the House of Representatives, appealed to Donald Trump for aid.
Trump has been briefed on the earthquakes and administration officials were monitoring the impact in coordination with Puerto Rico officials, the White House deputy press secretary, Judd Deere, said in a statement.
The island has been rocked by a series of quakes – literally hundreds – since 28 December, including 10 of magnitude 4 or greater, the US Geological Survey said.
Store owners remove supplies from Ely Mer
At least 346 people were left homeless, officials said, as homes were flattened, mostly in the south of the island. Many damaged buildings sat next to piles of rubble.
The declaration of emergency will facilitate federal financial aid for the US territory. Vázquez said she had been in contact with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema).
Several members of Congress, including Florida’s two US senators and Puerto Rico’s non-voting member of the House of Representatives, appealed to Donald Trump for aid.
Trump has been briefed on the earthquakes and administration officials were monitoring the impact in coordination with Puerto Rico officials, the White House deputy press secretary, Judd Deere, said in a statement.
The island has been rocked by a series of quakes – literally hundreds – since 28 December, including 10 of magnitude 4 or greater, the US Geological Survey said.
Store owners remove supplies from Ely Mer
Mar hardware store, which partially collapsed
after an earthquake struck Guanica, Puerto
Rico, on Tuesday. Photograph: Carlos Giusti/AP
A 5.8-magnitude temblor on Monday damaged some homes on the southern coast.
Powerful quakes are rare in Puerto Rico, and Tuesday’s 6.4 was the strongest in more than a century, the island’s seismology office, Red Sísmica, said.
On 11 October 1918, a 7.3 magnitude quake and tsunami killed 116 people in Puerto Rico, according to Red Sísmica data.
The US territory is still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017, which killed about 3,000 people and destroyed a significant amount of infrastructure. The island suffered during Hurricane Irma around the same time, as the climate crisis continues to exacerbate such storms.
Puerto Rico is also working through a bankruptcy process to restructure about $120bn of debt and pension obligations.
“We are a resilient people. We have responded to many difficult situations. Now this has been asked of us one more time,” said Vázquez, who later toured damaged areas.
One of Tuesday’s quakes triggered an automatic shutdown of electricity across the island as a safety measure and a later, more powerful quake damaged power plants in the southern part of the island, Vázquez said.
Power remained cut off to the capital San Juan and most of the island some 11 hours after the largest quake.
Puerto Rico was producing only 40 megawatts of electricity when demand was close to 2,000 megawatts, Ángel Figueroa, president of the electricity workers’ union Utier, said on Twitter.
Some 300,000 of Puerto Rico’s 1.3 million water customers lacked service, Vázquez said. The governor confirmed one death, as reported by El Nuevo Día, that a 73-year-old man died after a wall fell on him.
A man walks past a destroyed store after a
A 5.8-magnitude temblor on Monday damaged some homes on the southern coast.
Powerful quakes are rare in Puerto Rico, and Tuesday’s 6.4 was the strongest in more than a century, the island’s seismology office, Red Sísmica, said.
On 11 October 1918, a 7.3 magnitude quake and tsunami killed 116 people in Puerto Rico, according to Red Sísmica data.
The US territory is still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017, which killed about 3,000 people and destroyed a significant amount of infrastructure. The island suffered during Hurricane Irma around the same time, as the climate crisis continues to exacerbate such storms.
Puerto Rico is also working through a bankruptcy process to restructure about $120bn of debt and pension obligations.
“We are a resilient people. We have responded to many difficult situations. Now this has been asked of us one more time,” said Vázquez, who later toured damaged areas.
One of Tuesday’s quakes triggered an automatic shutdown of electricity across the island as a safety measure and a later, more powerful quake damaged power plants in the southern part of the island, Vázquez said.
Power remained cut off to the capital San Juan and most of the island some 11 hours after the largest quake.
Puerto Rico was producing only 40 megawatts of electricity when demand was close to 2,000 megawatts, Ángel Figueroa, president of the electricity workers’ union Utier, said on Twitter.
Some 300,000 of Puerto Rico’s 1.3 million water customers lacked service, Vázquez said. The governor confirmed one death, as reported by El Nuevo Día, that a 73-year-old man died after a wall fell on him.
A man walks past a destroyed store after a
6.4 earthquake hit on Tuesday in Guánica,
Puerto Rico. Photograph: Eric Rojas/Getty Images
But she said it was too soon to offer an accurate assessment of damage or injuries.
Vázquez, who assumed office in August after Ricardo Rosselló stepped down in the face of massive street protests, repeated pleas for people to remain calm and asked people to check on neighbors, especially the elderly.
The biggest quake on Tuesday, of magnitude 6.4, struck at a depth of six miles at 4.24am, near Ponce in the south, the US Geological Survey said.
Witnesses using social media described it as “super strong” and lasting up to 30 seconds, followed by a number of hefty aftershocks.
The international airport near San Juan continued normal service with the help of power generators, El Nuevo Día reported, citing Jorge Hernández, chief executive of Aerostar Airport Holdings.
On Tuesday evening, US House speaker Nancy Pelosi was reported as urging the Trump administration to respond to Puerto Rico’s plea for emergency status and accompanying aid.
Puerto Rico declares state of emergency after wide quake damage
Ricardo Arduengo,
AFP•January 7, 2020
1 / 4
Two firemen survey a collapsed building after an earthquake hit Guanica, one of the towns which appeared to suffer the worst damage on Puerto Rico's southwest coast
Two firemen survey a collapsed building after an earthquake hit Guanica, one of the towns which appeared to suffer the worst damage on Puerto Rico's southwest coast (AFP Photo/Ricardo ARDUENGO)
Guayanilla (Puerto Rico) (AFP) - Puerto Rico's governor declared a state of emergency on Tuesday after a powerful 6.4 magnitude earthquake killed at least one person in the south of the island and caused widespread damage.
Governor Wanda Vazquez said the declaration would allow for the activation of National Guard troops in the US territory still recovering from a devastating 2017 hurricane.
The US Geological Survey said the quake struck at 4:24 am (0824 GMT) with the epicenter off the coast of the southern city of Ponce, and was followed by more than a dozen aftershocks.
Tuesday's quake was the most powerful in a series of tremors that have shaken the island since December 28.
Scientists initially sent out an alert about a potential tsunami but it was later canceled.
The island's electricity authority said the quake had forced an automatic shutdown of the power grid, already severely damaged by Hurricane Maria more than two years ago.
The worst damage appeared to be in towns on the southwest coast, including Ponce, Guayanilla and Guanica.
El Nuevo Dia newspaper said a 73-year-old man died after a wall fell in his home in Ponce. Eight others there were reported injured.
Two power plants in Guayanilla sustained major damage, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority said. The city could be without power for two weeks, its mayor Nelson Torres Yordan said.
Celebrity chef Jose Andres announced that a charity he runs, World Central Kitchen, had started serving meals and distributing solar-powered lamps in quake-hit areas.
Vazquez announced that $130 million in emergency aid funding will be disbursed.
On social media, people wrote of being shaken awake by the force of the quake.
One woman on Twitter said she had been "wrenched from sleep."
"Everybody is awake & scared all over," she posted.
In Guayanilla, the Inmaculada Concepcion church, built in 1841, was heavily damaged.
Volunteers salvaged statues and other valuable items from the ruins as a priest consoled distraught parishioners.
- 'Be safe' -
A 5.8 magnitude quake on Monday toppled some structures, caused power outages and small landslides, but did not result in any casualties.
It also destroyed a popular tourist landmark, Punta Ventana, a natural stone arch that crumbled on the island's southern coast.
Vazquez, the governor, said government employees were being given the day off on Tuesday to take care of their families.
"We want everyone to be safe," she said.
She said ports were undamaged and there are several weeks' supply of gasoline, diesel and natural gas stored so people need not worry about shortages.
The White House said President Donald Trump had been briefed and Pete Gaynor, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), had been in touch with the governor.
Trump's administration came under severe criticism for its response to Hurricane Maria.
The Category 4 storm destroyed the island's already shaky power grid, overwhelmed public services, left many residents homeless and claimed several thousand lives, according to government estimates.
But she said it was too soon to offer an accurate assessment of damage or injuries.
Vázquez, who assumed office in August after Ricardo Rosselló stepped down in the face of massive street protests, repeated pleas for people to remain calm and asked people to check on neighbors, especially the elderly.
The biggest quake on Tuesday, of magnitude 6.4, struck at a depth of six miles at 4.24am, near Ponce in the south, the US Geological Survey said.
Witnesses using social media described it as “super strong” and lasting up to 30 seconds, followed by a number of hefty aftershocks.
The international airport near San Juan continued normal service with the help of power generators, El Nuevo Día reported, citing Jorge Hernández, chief executive of Aerostar Airport Holdings.
On Tuesday evening, US House speaker Nancy Pelosi was reported as urging the Trump administration to respond to Puerto Rico’s plea for emergency status and accompanying aid.
---30---
Puerto Rico declares state of emergency after wide quake damage
Ricardo Arduengo,
AFP•January 7, 2020
1 / 4
Two firemen survey a collapsed building after an earthquake hit Guanica, one of the towns which appeared to suffer the worst damage on Puerto Rico's southwest coast
Two firemen survey a collapsed building after an earthquake hit Guanica, one of the towns which appeared to suffer the worst damage on Puerto Rico's southwest coast (AFP Photo/Ricardo ARDUENGO)
Guayanilla (Puerto Rico) (AFP) - Puerto Rico's governor declared a state of emergency on Tuesday after a powerful 6.4 magnitude earthquake killed at least one person in the south of the island and caused widespread damage.
Governor Wanda Vazquez said the declaration would allow for the activation of National Guard troops in the US territory still recovering from a devastating 2017 hurricane.
The US Geological Survey said the quake struck at 4:24 am (0824 GMT) with the epicenter off the coast of the southern city of Ponce, and was followed by more than a dozen aftershocks.
Tuesday's quake was the most powerful in a series of tremors that have shaken the island since December 28.
Scientists initially sent out an alert about a potential tsunami but it was later canceled.
The island's electricity authority said the quake had forced an automatic shutdown of the power grid, already severely damaged by Hurricane Maria more than two years ago.
The worst damage appeared to be in towns on the southwest coast, including Ponce, Guayanilla and Guanica.
El Nuevo Dia newspaper said a 73-year-old man died after a wall fell in his home in Ponce. Eight others there were reported injured.
Two power plants in Guayanilla sustained major damage, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority said. The city could be without power for two weeks, its mayor Nelson Torres Yordan said.
Celebrity chef Jose Andres announced that a charity he runs, World Central Kitchen, had started serving meals and distributing solar-powered lamps in quake-hit areas.
Vazquez announced that $130 million in emergency aid funding will be disbursed.
On social media, people wrote of being shaken awake by the force of the quake.
One woman on Twitter said she had been "wrenched from sleep."
"Everybody is awake & scared all over," she posted.
In Guayanilla, the Inmaculada Concepcion church, built in 1841, was heavily damaged.
Volunteers salvaged statues and other valuable items from the ruins as a priest consoled distraught parishioners.
- 'Be safe' -
A 5.8 magnitude quake on Monday toppled some structures, caused power outages and small landslides, but did not result in any casualties.
It also destroyed a popular tourist landmark, Punta Ventana, a natural stone arch that crumbled on the island's southern coast.
Vazquez, the governor, said government employees were being given the day off on Tuesday to take care of their families.
"We want everyone to be safe," she said.
She said ports were undamaged and there are several weeks' supply of gasoline, diesel and natural gas stored so people need not worry about shortages.
The White House said President Donald Trump had been briefed and Pete Gaynor, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), had been in touch with the governor.
Trump's administration came under severe criticism for its response to Hurricane Maria.
The Category 4 storm destroyed the island's already shaky power grid, overwhelmed public services, left many residents homeless and claimed several thousand lives, according to government estimates.
---30---
No comments:
Post a Comment