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Puerto Rico earthquake Tuesday morning triggers blackout, reports of injuries and at least one dead Puerto Rico earthquake triggers blackout, reports of injuries and at least one dead
(about 2 hours later)
GUÁNICA, Puerto Rico — A powerful 6.4-magnitude earthquake off Puerto Rico's southwestern coast early Tuesday morning triggered a widespread blackout, interrupted telecommunications and sent homeowners scrambling out of collapsing homes in towns near the epicenter. GUÁNICA, Puerto Rico — A series of powerful earthquakes this week, including a major 6.4-magnitude temblor early Tuesday morning, triggered widespread power outages and damage, leaving an already fragile Puerto Rico reeling once again.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the shaking began about 4:24 a.m. and was followed by intense aftershocks, including a 6.0-magnitude shock wave that also was felt across the U.S. territory. As the sun rose on Puerto Rico, reports of significant damage and injuries were beginning to emerge from areas already impacted by a 5.8-magnitude quake on Monday that destroyed homes and a natural rock formation that was a signature coastal tourist attraction. Schools, homes and churches along the southern coastline crumbled. Hospitals evacuated patients. A signature tourist attraction collapsed into the sea. At least one person died, crushed by a wall that toppled in his home.
Tuesday's earthquake followed a 5.8-magnitude quake on Monday and was among numerous seismic events along an underwater fault line in recent days. All of them sent shock waves across the U.S. territory amid fears that further tremors could knock out key infrastructure.
The earthquakes struck just months after a scandal involving the former governor set off massive protests and political upheaval. It also hit communities still struggling more than two years after the catastrophic Hurricane Maria raked the island — many homes remain covered in blue tarps where roofs once stood.
"We weren't prepared for something of this magnitude," said Ángel Luis "Luigi" Torres, the mayor of Yauco, a southwestern town impacted by both the storm and this week's quakes. "We weren't even prepared for a hurricane. Now imagine an earthquake."
Gov. Wanda Vázquez Garced declared a state of emergency Tuesday and said authorities were evaluating the damage and inspecting Puerto Rico’s power generation plants — all of which are located along the southern coast near the origin of the seismic activity. She also told government employees to stay home, as more aftershocks are expected.
Strong earthquake destroys natural wonder, homes in Puerto Rico townStrong earthquake destroys natural wonder, homes in Puerto Rico town
Gov. Wanda Vázquez Garced told government employees to stay home as more aftershocks are expected in the next several days. Emergency personnel are evaluating the damage and inspecting Puerto Rico’s power generation plants — all of which are located along the southern coast near the origin of the seismic activity.
“There will be other earthquakes, prepare yourselves,” Wanda Vázquez Garced said. “This will continue to happen. For how long? We can’t say.”“There will be other earthquakes, prepare yourselves,” Wanda Vázquez Garced said. “This will continue to happen. For how long? We can’t say.”
The Costa Sur power generation plant, located near the quake’s epicenter, was damaged, and millions of people across the island are without electricity. Authorities said there are 300,000 customers without water service. No major damage was reported to dams and major seaports, and road damage appeared to be limited to local areas in the southern region. The government is working on powering up three “mega-generators” secured in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. The Costa Sur power generation plant, located near the quake’s epicenter, was damaged, and millions of people across the island were without electricity. Authorities said there are 300,000 customers without water service. No major damage was reported to dams and seaports, and road damage appeared to be limited to local areas in the southern region. The government is working on powering up three “mega-generators” secured in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.
The governor urged residents to remain calm and to stave off panic with preparation. During a news conference Tuesday, the governor said Puerto Rico has not updated its earthquake preparedness plan in more than a century, a reference to a 1918 earthquake and tsunami that killed approximately 100 people and caused severe damage in the island’s northwesternmost towns. Vázquez Garced said the government recently hired a firm to prepare such a plan.
“You are not alone,” Vázquez Garced said, adding that her government had not yet had direct contact with the White House in Washington. “The central government is here to meet your needs.” The San Fermin quake of 1918 registered at a magnitude of 7.3 and had been the most disastrous and deadly earthquake in Puerto Rico’s history. Tuesday’s earthquake was the most powerful one near the island since 2014.
Gladyra Archilla, a spokesperson for the city of Ponce along the southern coast, confirmed that a 77-year-old man was killed when a wall in his home fell on top of him. Emergency personnel were trying to rescue one other person in that home who was pinned under debris. Archilla said that many local buildings in the city — Puerto Rico’s second-largest — were damaged. Local officials are worried that the unusually strong seismic activity has caught the U.S. territory off guard. The vast majority of public school buildings and thousands of homes, particularly in rural areas where construction is more informal, do not comply with current building codes, according to Puerto Rico state Sen. Ramon Luis Nieves.
Vázquez Garced added that her government had not yet had direct contact with the White House in Washington as of late Tuesday. A spokesperson for the Federal Emergency Management Agency said officials are considering the governor’s request for an emergency declaration.
The Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico said it had approved the use of emergency reserve funds from fiscal years 2019 and 2020 to be used for expenses related to the earthquakes, but any local expenditures are sure to strain a government that has been bankrupt and struggling to recover from Hurricane Maria’s wrath.
Tuesday’s blackout raised fears akin to those after Maria, which knocked out power in some areas for months, left some people isolated in rural areas and led to an estimated 3,000 deaths.
“Everything is paralyzed,” Marcos Irizarry Pagan, the mayor of Lajas, a southern municipality impacted by the quake, said during a live interview on Puerto Rico’s local Telemundo station. “I hope this isn’t like Maria.”
Gladyra Archilla, a spokesperson for the city of Ponce along the southern coast, confirmed that a man in his 70s was killed when a wall in his home fell on top of him. Emergency personnel were trying to rescue one other person in that home who was pinned under debris. Archilla said that many buildings in the city — Puerto Rico’s second-largest — were damaged.
Puerto Rico electrical authorities reported damage to infrastructure along the southern coast and said they were evaluating substations across the island. Power utility spokeswoman Edith Seda said the system is designed to shut off automatically in the event of vibrations, and the extent of damage to the Costa Sur plant was unclear.Puerto Rico electrical authorities reported damage to infrastructure along the southern coast and said they were evaluating substations across the island. Power utility spokeswoman Edith Seda said the system is designed to shut off automatically in the event of vibrations, and the extent of damage to the Costa Sur plant was unclear.
Seda said crews are working to restore power early in the day if it is safe to do so amid continuing aftershocks. It is possible that certain sectors will see electricity earlier than others; generators are powering the island’s primary hospital, Centro Médico. San Juan’s international airport is operational, officials said. Seda said crews were working to restore power when safe to do so amid continuing aftershocks. It is possible that certain sectors will see electricity earlier than others; generators are powering the island’s primary hospital, Centro Médico. San Juan’s international airport is operational, officials said.
The Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico said Tuesday it had approved the use of emergency reserve funds from fiscal years 2019 and 2020 to be used for emergency expenses related to the earthquakes. The bulk of the earthquake damage was in the southern coastal region, from Ponce west to the municipalities of Yauco, Guayanilla, Lajas and Guánica.
New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced he was deploying technical experts to work with the Puerto Rican Electric Power Authority to restore power as quickly as possible.
The blackout raised fears akin to those after Hurricane Maria in 2017, when areas lost power for weeks and even months.
“Everything is paralyzed,” said Marcos Irizarry Pagan, the mayor of a southern municipality impacted by the quake, during a live interview on Puerto Rico’s local Telemundo station. “I hope this isn’t like Maria.”
Images of collapsed schools, homes and churches permeated the airwaves and social media in Puerto Rico. The bulk of the damage was in the southern coastal region, from Ponce west to the municipalities of Yauco, Guayanilla, Lajas and Guánica.
Sin Luz: Life without power after Hurricane MariaSin Luz: Life without power after Hurricane Maria
In the southwestern town of Yauco, 32 houses collapsed. More than 100 apartment units were left uninhabitable, and hundreds of other homes were potentially unsafe, according to the town’s mayor, Ángel Luis “Luigi” Torres. Nearly 400 people were forced to evacuate their homes and have sought shelter beneath tents in a large parking lot. In the southwestern town of Yauco, 32 houses collapsed. More than 100 apartment units were left uninhabitable, and hundreds of other homes were potentially unsafe, according to Torres, the mayor. Nearly 400 people were forced to evacuate their homes and have sought shelter beneath tents in a large parking lot.
A hospital evacuated all 80 of its patients, who were awaiting air-conditioned tents from the National Guard on Tuesday afternoon, Torres said. One 78-year-old resident died of cardiac arrest on Tuesday, but it was unclear whether the heart attack was related to the earthquakes, Torres said. A hospital evacuated all 80 of its patients, who were awaiting air-conditioned tents from the National Guard on Tuesday, Torres said.
In Guánica, at least 180 people sought shelter at the Coliseum Mariano “Tito” Morales on Monday after the 5.8 magnitude quake, which struck Puerto Rico the morning of Three Kings Day, normally a festive occasion on the island. But after Tuesday’s earthquake, the coli­seum was evacuated due to fears of damage to the structure, said Zulma Bracero Martínez, the municipality administrator of Guánica. In Guánica, at least 180 people sought shelter at the Coliseum Mariano “Tito” Rodriquez on Monday after the 5.8 magnitude quake, which struck Puerto Rico the morning of Three Kings Day, normally a festive occasion on the island. But after Tuesday’s earthquake, the coli­seum was evacuated due to fears of damage to the structure, said Zulma Bracero Martínez, the Guánica’s municipality administrator.
Families instead have been waiting in the coliseum’s parking lot. Families instead have been gathering in the coliseum’s parking lot. Among them was Noelia De Jesús, 69, who stood in the middle of the lot with her husband, Francisco Ramos, 72, who was using a wheelchair.
Among them was Noelia De Jesús, 69, who stood in the middle of the lot with her husband, Francisco Ramos, 72, who was using a wheelchair. The couple sought refuge after a house in front of theirs collapsed in Monday’s quake. Feeling unsafe in their home, Ramos and De Jesús boarded a bus to the coli­seum. But then, at 4:24 a.m. Tuesday, the 6.4 magnitude temblor sent lightbulbs from the building’s ceiling crashing to the floor. De Jesús lost her balance. A stroller toppled with her granddaughter inside.
The couple sought refuge after a house in front of theirs collapsed in Monday’s tremor. Feeling unsafe in their home, Ramos and De Jesús boarded a bus to the coli­seum. But then, at 4:24 a.m. Tuesday, the 6.4 magnitude quake sent lightbulbs from the building’s ceiling crashing to the floor. De Jesús lost her balance. A stroller toppled with her granddaughter inside.
“I thought we were going to die,” De Jesús said.“I thought we were going to die,” De Jesús said.
The situation brings back terrible memories for them. Two decades ago, Hurricane George damaged their home. After Hurricane Maria, the couple lived in a shelter for nearly a year.The situation brings back terrible memories for them. Two decades ago, Hurricane George damaged their home. After Hurricane Maria, the couple lived in a shelter for nearly a year.
“It’s been so hard,” De Jesús said.“It’s been so hard,” De Jesús said.
Puerto Rico after Maria: Residents see a failure at all levels of governmentPuerto Rico after Maria: Residents see a failure at all levels of government
Hundreds of small temblors have been rattling nerves on the island archipelago since Dec. 28. Scientists described the island being “squeezed” by two major faults known as subduction zones, where tectonic plates dive beneath one another. The biggest of those subduction zones is to the north of the island and could potentially deliver a catastrophic earthquake with a magnitude of 7 or greater. Hundreds of small temblors have been rattling nerves on the island archipelago since Dec. 28. Scientists described the island as being “squeezed” by two major faults known as subduction zones, where tectonic plates dive beneath one another. The biggest of those subduction zones is to the north of the island and could potentially deliver a catastrophic earthquake with a magnitude of 7 or greater.
The two earthquakes this week happened on an unmapped offshore “intraplate” fault just south of the island, according to Gavin Hayes, a USGS research scientist. The epicenters were just a few miles apart. This was a relatively unusual “foreshock sequence,” in which a moderate earthquake was followed by a major one. The two strongest earthquakes this week happened on an unmapped offshore “intraplate” fault just south of the island, according to Gavin Hayes, a U.S. Geological Survey research scientist. The epicenters were just a few miles apart. This was a relatively unusual “foreshock sequence,” in which a moderate earthquake was followed by a major one.
It’s possible, though unlikely, that both earthquakes could prove to be foreshocks of an even more violent event. The unstable fault has generated nearly two dozen earthquakes that registered as magnitude 3 or greater in recent weeks. USGS calculates that there is a 9 percent chance of a magnitude 6.4 or greater tremor along the fault in the next week, and a 22 percent chance of a magnitude 6 or higher.It’s possible, though unlikely, that both earthquakes could prove to be foreshocks of an even more violent event. The unstable fault has generated nearly two dozen earthquakes that registered as magnitude 3 or greater in recent weeks. USGS calculates that there is a 9 percent chance of a magnitude 6.4 or greater tremor along the fault in the next week, and a 22 percent chance of a magnitude 6 or higher.
USGS geophysicist John Bellini said he believes the 6.4 quake was “the peak of the pressure.” He cautioned residents to stay out of buildings, as aftershocks can cause more destruction. USGS geophysicist John Bellini said he believes the 6.4 quake was “the peak of the pressure,” but aftershocks can be dangerous.
During a news conference on Tuesday, the governor said Puerto Rico does not have an earthquake preparedness plan and has not had one updated in 102 years, a reference to the 1918 earthquake and tsunami that killed about 100 people and caused severe damage in the island’s northwesternmost towns. U.S. Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who chairs the committee that oversees U.S. territories including Puerto Rico, urged the Trump administration to release remaining federal disaster recovery funds from Hurricane Maria and deliver new aid quickly.
The San Fermin quake registered at a magnitude of 7.3 and had been the most disastrous and deadly earthquake in Puerto Rico’s history. Tuesday’s earthquake was the most powerful one near the island since 2014.
Vázquez Garced said the government recently hired a firm to prepare such a plan.
Local officials are worried that the unusually strong seismic activity has caught the U.S. territory off guard. The vast majority of public school buildings and thousands of homes, particularly in rural areas where construction is more informal, do not comply with current building codes, according to Puerto Rico state Sen. Ramon Luis Nieves.
Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who chairs the committee that oversees U.S. territories including Puerto Rico, urged the Trump administration to release remaining federal disaster recovery funds from Hurricane Maria and deliver new aid without delay.
“The Trump administration’s indifference and incompetence have already cost residents of Puerto Rico their lives and their livelihoods, and continuing that pattern now is completely unacceptable,” Grijalva said in a statement. “I urge this administration to remember that lives are at stake and the public is watching.”“The Trump administration’s indifference and incompetence have already cost residents of Puerto Rico their lives and their livelihoods, and continuing that pattern now is completely unacceptable,” Grijalva said in a statement. “I urge this administration to remember that lives are at stake and the public is watching.”
Like many Puerto Ricans, Yaritza Llabreras experienced that loss of life firsthand after Hurricane Maria, after which she lost two grandparents. Now she worried for her grandmother, who has Alzheimer’s and has been bedridden for two years. After this week’s earthquakes, the Llabreras family went to rescue Colón in Guánica.
“When we got to the house, she didn’t look well,” Llabreras, 24, said, noting that her grandmother is now receiving medical treatment. But Llabreras is considering leaving the island.
“If this continues, I don’t know where are we going to end up,” she said.
Corujo is a freelance journalist based in Puerto Rico. Hernández reported from San Antonio and Schmidt reported from Washington. Joel Achenbach and Jeff Stein in Washington contributed to this report.Corujo is a freelance journalist based in Puerto Rico. Hernández reported from San Antonio and Schmidt reported from Washington. Joel Achenbach and Jeff Stein in Washington contributed to this report.