An official website of the United States government
Yabucoa Solar will lower clean energy rates while providing clean power and resilient energy storage to communities in southeast Puerto Rico
Jigar Shah served as Director of the Loan Programs Office (LPO) at the U.S
Department of Energy (DOE) from March 2021 to January 2025
He led and directed LPO’s loan authority to support deployment of innovative clean energy
and Tribal energy projects in the United States
Shah was co-founder and President at Generate Capital
where he focused on helping entrepreneurs accelerate decarbonization solutions through the use of low-cost infrastructure-as-a service financing
a company that pioneered “pay as you save” solar financing
Shah served as the founding CEO of the Carbon War Room
a global non-profit founded by Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Unite to help entrepreneurs address climate change
Shah was also featured in TIME's list of the "100 Most Influential People" in 2024
from the University of Illinois-UC and an MBA from the University of Maryland College Park
The Department of Energy Loan Programs Office (LPO) announced a conditional commitment for a loan guarantee of up to $133.6 million ($128.6 million in principal and $5.0 million in capitalized interest) to YFN Yabucoa Solar LLC
the loan guarantee will finance Yabucoa Solar
a 32.1 MW-ac solar photovoltaic (PV) system with an integrated 14.45 MW (4.76 MWh) battery energy storage system (BESS)
standalone 50 MW (200 MWh) BESS expansion in the municipality of Yabucoa
Puerto Rico—underscoring the Biden-Harris Administration’s deep commitment to rebuilding and modernizing Puerto Rico’s electric grid
Infinigen submitted the loan application for Yabucoa Solar to LPO in September 2023.
Yabucoa Solar will support approximately 160 peak construction jobs and up to 6 full-time operations jobs once fully operational
Yabucoa Solar is working directly with the mayor’s office in Yabucoa to hire locally
and its contractor plans to use apprentices for 15% of on-site labor during construction
Yabucoa Solar will provide roughly 70,000 MWh of clean power annually to Puerto Rico.
Yabucoa Solar helps provide affordable electricity in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico’s average electricity price is nearly double the U.S
average despite per capita use being roughly 25% of the rest of the country
The solar PV system will generate affordable green power directly to Puerto Rico’s grid at prices to customers significantly lower than government-forecasted rates
As an operator of existing solar farms in Puerto Rico—including the islands’ largest—Infinigen is capable of economically operating and maintaining the facilities through the project’s lifetime
These investments also provide much-needed reliability to Puerto Rico’s electric system
Puerto Rico faces some of the highest rates of grid disruption in the United States
and outdated generation equipment can impact the quality of delivered electricity
The integrated BESS facility will provide system resilience by providing near-instantaneous capacity and stability services that currently are served by central fuel-fired plants
The stand-alone BESS facility is primarily intended to shift load from peak hours during the day to off-peak hours during the evening and night
Each facility in the project is designed to be flood-resistant and to withstand windspeeds up to 156 mph
providing better reliability for communities who frequently face storm-induced outages.
Yabucoa Solar’s investments contribute to the 3,750 MW of solar PV and 1,500 MW of 4-hour battery energy storage systems Puerto Rico plans to install through 2035 to meet the island’s goal of generating 100% clean energy by 2050
LPO borrowers are required to develop and ultimately implement a comprehensive Community Benefits Plan that ensures meaningful community and labor engagement
improves the well-being of residents and workers
and incorporates strong labor standards during construction
and throughout the life of the loan guarantee
Yabucoa Solar’s contractor intends to hire locally where possible and has a strong history of working productively with labor and communities on the island
Financing for this project would be through the Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) program under Title 17 Clean Energy Financing (Section 1706)
Established by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act
or replace energy infrastructure that has ceased operations or that enable operating energy infrastructure to avoid
or sequester air pollutants or greenhouse gas emissions
Today’s announcement is the latest in a string of actions DOE has taken to help strengthen Puerto Rico’s grid modernization and energy resiliency
President Biden authorized $1 billion for the establishment of the Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund (PR-ERF)
which is administered by DOE’s Grid Deployment Office
The PR-ERF is a separate federal funding source to drive key investments in renewable and resilient energy infrastructure in Puerto Rico
While this conditional commitment indicates DOE’s intent to finance the project
DOE and the company must satisfy certain technical
and financial conditions before the Department enters into definitive financing documents and authorizes the funding of the loan guarantee
Rain showers early with clearing later at night
Businessman in the tourism industry and manager of the Tropical Inns hostel
announced the permanent closure of these properties
describing it as a scenario he never thought he would experience
The decision is related to the sale of loan portfolios by the Economic Development Bank for Puerto Rico (BDE)
carried out in 2017 under the administration of then-governor Ricardo Rosselló and the former president of the BDE
treasurer and vice president of the Parador Association
told The News Journal that this process is "very unfortunate" for the family business that represented the Tropical Inns business and that other businesses involved in the sale of this portfolio should "stay alert" as they too foresee being at risk
but it will happen to other businesses that were part of that loan portfolio
It has been a very difficult situation for those entrepreneurs over the past seven years," Ramírez emphasized in an interview with this outlet
after seven years of legal processes and litigation in the courts
the closure of his hostel becomes significant and has a major economic impact
as over 54 direct jobs are lost in one of the areas with the highest unemployment rates on the island
He also mentioned that this closure directly and dramatically affects tourism in the southeastern part of the island
as the only 75 rooms endorsed by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (CTPR) are lost
we have been victims of government corruption in the country
These portfolios should never have been sold; this wasn’t a mistake
it was something planned and orchestrated to hand over one of the most important sectors of our economy
to the 'vulture funds.' They knew that once they handed us over to the vulture funds
it was just a matter of time," López expressed on the Tropical Inns Puerto Rico Facebook page
López added that his loans totaled $2.9 million
with mortgage collateral worth more than double that amount
"Both the investors and those managing the portfolio for Condado 6
LLC have been so greedy that in 2023 we offered them $2.5 million to buy the notes
this situation is very sad because it was poor governmental management in 2017 regarding the loan portfolio disposal
They sold this portfolio to a group of investors and never offered the same terms to the owners of these loans
and some clauses accelerated the loan balance," Ramírez mentioned in a phone interview with this outlet
which led to the abandonment of many establishments today
"I’ve known the López family for many years; they are fighters
Their paradores have received several awards from local organizations through the Puerto Rico Tourism Company and global organizations," emphasized Ramírez
who is also co-owner of the Combate Beach Resort parador in Cabo Rojo
Ramírez pointed out that it is tragic for this to happen now when tourism on the island is seeing substantial growth
which is causing great concern in the industry
"Tourism in Puerto Rico is at its best and growing
so there are opportunities for other guesthouses to develop
the Development Bank sold them in a questionable manner
and they are still at risk— not necessarily guesthouses
but restaurants and other establishments," he stressed
He also criticized the statements from past administrations that loudly claimed to support small and medium-sized businesses
yet these businesses were still affected after the sale of this portfolio
they affect us with these types of decisions
which are questionable because the correct decisions should truly be correct
over 50 employees are affected in those guesthouses (in Yabucoa)," he emphasized
He pointed out that the decisions surrounding the sale of the portfolio are subject to "political issues”
More than three decades dedicated to hospitality
The owner of the guesthouse mentioned that "despite our faith
and we hurt deeply over what is happening to us
We’ve just lost almost everything—the effort
he highlighted the effort put into over three decades of hospitality aimed at positively impacting both their employees and the country
and tears to help hundreds of fathers and mothers provide for their families," he stated
Although the closure of several of his paradores marks the end of an era
López reiterated his commitment to quality service and hospitality through the MaunaCaribe Parador
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SearchYabucoa evens finals with Florida at a game apieceThe San Juan Daily StarAug 5
20241 min readJan Hernández of the Azucareros of Yabucoa celebrates with teammates on Saturday
The Azucareros of Yabucoa defeated the Titans of Florida 7-5 on Saturday at Francisco Negrón Stadium in Las Piedras in Game 2 of the Superior Double A Baseball League Final Series
The Yabucoeños took the lead in the fifth inning
Luis Pintor took advantage of an error by pitcher Joshua Santiago to reach the plate and a sacrifice fly by Edwin Gómez brought in Jan Hernández for the fifth run
Right-hander Cristian González pitched 7.1 innings with nine hits allowed and five runs to earn the win
Steven Dávila went the rest of the way for the save
Florida took a 1-0 lead in the second inning
but Yabucoa tied the score immediately in the bottom of the frame
After the Titans scored on an error in the fourth inning to regain the lead
Nelson Jorge hit a two-run home run to put the Azucareros ahead
A triple by Ian Laureano drove in Florida’s third run to tie the game in the fifth inning
the Titans showed signs of life with a two-run triple by pinch-hitter Miguel Vega
a sacrifice fly by Luis Pintor produced Yabucoa’s seventh run
The series resumes this Friday with Game 3 at 8 p.m
© 2025 The San Juan Daily Star - Puerto Rico
Florida Titanes and Yabucoa Azucareros will play for the Puerto Rico Superior Double-A League title
The best-of-seven final series of the top competition organised by the Puerto Rican Baseball Federatio (FBPR) will start on Friday
Azucareros earned their first final since 2004
They got three of their four wins on the road
and left-handed pitcher Noel Pinto earned the three wins
He pitched 1.2 innings in relief to win the clincher on Monday
Titanes eliminated Junco Mulos in seven games
advancing to their first final series since 2017
They won the rubber match in front of a sellout crowd at Rafael Fello Marrero Stadium on July 27
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Puerto Rico – It has been nearly six months since Hurricane Maria roared ashore in this seaside community
it looks as if the storm hit just yesterday
The baseball stadium, once the epicenter of activity in this city of 37,000, sits abandoned
its overhead steel beams still mangled like twigs
Homes are missing walls and roofs and about two-thirds of the municipality is still without power
The mayor and other local officials work out of a private home because City Hall is battered and boarded up.
“The eye of Maria passed right over Yabucoa,” said Edgar Casanova
Maria entered Puerto Rico here at dawn on Sept
20 with sustained 155-mph winds and continued across the island in its destructive
The Category 4 storm killed more than 60 people
although some unofficial estimates have the death toll as high as 1,000
destroyed homes and knocked out power to most of the island
Yabucoa bore the brunt of the storm before it weakened over Puerto Rico’s mountainous terrain
Wind gusts here weren't accurately measured because the storm destroyed local radar stations
but at least three tornadoes were observed around Yabucoa
a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Juan.
More: 6 months after Hurricane Maria, life in Puerto Rico is better — but will 'never be normal again'
More: '5 months without power': Blackout is latest snag in Puerto Rico's long recovery from Hurricane Maria
More: How this small Houston community survived Hurricane Harvey when other parts didn’t
More: Pastor a lifeline for many as he works to resurrect Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria
"That's where it was the strongest," Lojero said
"The southeast portion was where the most severe damage occurred due to winds."
Concrete homes that withstood previous hurricanes were pummeled and City Hall was destroyed
the hospital remained open using an old generator
since city officials feared the generator would break from overuse
she died of a heart attack in the parking lot while awaiting an ambulance from nearby Humacao
FEMA has since shipped in more generators and the hospital resumed its 24-hour status
But local officials have had to supply 19 generators on their own to keep the local water plant running
The lack of state and federal attention in Yabucoa has been painful
he said: “Everyone’s suffering.”
Most painful has been the pace of power restoration
washes her clothes by hand and hangs them on a line outside her small home on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean Sea
Maria tore off part of her roof and pushed the sea right up to her kitchen window
FEMA awarded Torres $8,100 to replace furniture and other lost items
with a few solar-powered lamps scattered throughout the home
I’m scared that something else happens we don’t expect and I end up drowned at sea.”
Despite nearly 4,000 utility workers across the island working to repair the grid
remote areas like Yabucoa remain a challenge
Army Corps of Engineers Task Force Power Restoration Commander.
About 150,000 customers remain without power across the island
down from more than 1.4 million immediately after the storm
Challenges have included gaining access to remote areas that were blocked by storm debris
patching up damaged and outdated equipment and coordinating the efforts of five different entities involved in power restoration
including the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority and multiple crews from the mainland
"This is of a magnitude beyond anything that’s been undertaken in the United States," he said.
Kirk said he expects that close to 95% of the island will have power restored by the end of the month
but there still may be pockets where additional work is needed.
dark nights in his brother's storm-battered home
The storm peeled back a chunk of the home’s concrete-and-rebar-reinforced garage roof and punched holes in the roof over the kitchen and bathroom
and Martinez is constantly pushing water out of the home with a mop
He eats meals at the home of a nearby relative, who has a gas stove
then returns at dusk to listen to the radio and fall asleep soon after nightfall
The family has been denied federal assistance because they’re struggling to prove ownership of the home
Martinez said he occasionally sees crews and bucket trucks working on power lines at the base of the mountain but realizes it’ll be a while before they make their way up to him
“Six months is a long time,” he said
“And who knows how much longer still.”
SearchAdditional significant rainfall accumulation forecast for PR
rainfall had generated up to 5 inches of accumulation by early Thursday afternoon
impacting areas such as Jardines de Yabucoa and sections of highways PR-901 and PR-3
Local authorities were reporting active flooding in those areas
and warned that the risk of flash flooding remains as long as the rains continue
The National Weather Service (NWS) has warned Thursday about the possibility of more significant rainfall in Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) in the next few days
due to a combination of troughs in the middle and upper levels of the atmosphere and higher than normal humidity levels coming from a nearly stationary front
The situation will create ideal conditions for the development of thunderstorms
especially between today and Saturday morning
It was anticipated that areas in the north and east of Puerto Rico
could receive rainfall accumulations of between 3 and 4 inches
with locally higher amounts that could reach up to 6 inches in some areas
rainfall accumulation of between 1 and 3 inches was expected
Due to the potential for prolonged and heavy rainfall
a flash flood watch was to remain in effect through Saturday morning
The advisory warned of the risk of flash flooding and river flooding
as well as the possibility of landslides in areas of steep terrain
a high risk of hazardous marine conditions
was also expected through at least the weekend
The NWS issued a small craft advisory and a high surf advisory through at least Friday afternoon for north-facing beaches in Puerto Rico
The public was urged to stay informed about the potential risks of excessive rainfall and hazardous marine conditions through the NWS’s Experimental Graphical Hazard Weather Outlook
and to take precautions in case of flooding or rip currents on the beaches
The extended rainfall warning came as the NWS issued several flood warnings for different areas of Puerto Rico on Thursday due to heavy rains generated by intense storms that had impacted much of the island
The rainfall caused flooding in urban areas and small streams
affecting areas with poor drainage and raising the level of rivers and streams
an accumulation of between 3 and 5 inches of rain was recorded by midday Thursday
mainly in areas near Quebrada Los Muertos and sectors such as Urb Villa Oriente
Local authorities reported flooding on highway PR-909
trained weather observers reported accumulations of between 2 and 4 inches of rain
with additional rainfall of up to 3 inches expected
Playita and Palo Seco were experiencing rising streams and possible road flooding due to soil saturation
the NWS maintained a flash flood warning through this morning
Up to 6 inches of rain had been recorded in some areas
affecting major roads such as Lauro Piñeiro Avenue and PR-3 in areas such as Roosevelt Gardens and Colonia Santa María
rainfall generated up to 5 inches of accumulation
The NWS strongly encouraged residents in affected areas to avoid flooded areas and follow the instructions of local authorities
Hurricane Maria brought maximum sustained winds of 155 mph when it hit Yabucoa
Yabucoa Puerto Rico MapGoogle MapsAs of 10 a.m. ET, the storm’s core was still moving over Puerto Rico, bringing “life-threatening wind, storm surge and rainfall,” the NHC reported. The area is still recovering from damage brought by Hurricane Irma.
After hitting Yabucoa, Hurricane Maria is expected to move over the Dominican Republic’s northeastern cost
A hurricane warning is already in effect for the area
as well as for Turks and Caicos and the southeastern Bahamas
The NHC’s forecast also noted that Maria may regather strength before hitting the Dominican Republic Thursday morning
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Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic are joining efforts to stop transnational criminal groups that attempt to move drugs to the United States or Europe on Caribbean waters
together they seized 2,723 kilograms of cocaine at different locations in their territorial seas
the Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces of Rapid Action (FURA
in Spanish) seized 450 kg of cocaine and detained two people 3 nautical miles off Punta Figuras
Authorities found the drug in 15 bales on a vessel sailing with its lights off
both Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic hit narcotrafficking structures
Puerto Rico Police’s Intelligence Division and Maritime Division seized 1,600 kg of cocaine and detained a Dominican and a Venezuelan national at El Cocal beach
with bundles that they suspected were drugs
so they proceeded to inspect it and later confirmed that it was cocaine,” the Dominican website El Caribe reported
the Dominican National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD
in Spanish) seized 515 kg of cocaine in an interdiction operation carried out at a home in the Los Cacicazgos sector
“The residence was used by the criminal network as a center for the collection and preparation of drugs for export to Europe through the country’s ports,” the DNCD said in a statement
the DNCD and the Dominican Navy dismantled a criminal organization that used speedboats to smuggle drugs between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico
Authorities seized 158 kg of cocaine and detained 16 people
five firearms (two pistols and three shotguns)
For more on security and defense issues around the globe
Guaynabo Mets and Juncos Mulos will compete in the Carnival of Champions (Carnaval de Campeones
the eight-team round-robin representing the second part of the Puerto Rico Superior Double-A League postseason
The Carnival of Champions is set to open on Friday
and will qualify the top four finishers to the best-of-seven semifinals
No team has repeated as champions in the Double-A League since Cidra Bravos won back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013
Salinas Peces eliminated Juana Diaz Poetas in the South Zone final series
Cayey Toritos will enter the Carnival of Champions after 12 consecutive wins
including the Bravos sweep in the Central Zone final
Cabo Rojo Piratas were the last to clinch a spot among the top eight
They came from behind to beat Lajas Cardenales
Yabucoa Azucareros swept Maunabo Jueyeros to win the Southeast Zone
San Sebastian Patrulleros defeated Hornigueros Libertadores
Juncos Mulos became the East Zone champions
FBPR also announced four individual awards
Guayama Nrujos shortstop Edison Mora earned the Rookie of the Year award
Héctor Heto Acevedo (Carolina Gigantes) was voted the Pitcher of the Year
Yabucoa Azucareros catcher Ruben Castro earned MVP honours
The Superior Double-A League is the top competition organized by the Baseball Federation of Puerto Rico (FBPR). It opened in February
involving 45 teams representing all the island's provinces
It was the second edition of the FBPR development league
SearchYabucoa wins last berth in Double A semifinalsThe San Juan Daily StarJul 9
The Azucareros of Yabucoa earned the last ticket to the Double A Superior Baseball League semifinals on Sunday by defeating the Patrulleros of San Sebastián
Toritos de Cayey and Mulos de Juncos compete in the tournament semis
The Yabucoa-San Sebastián game was completed after being suspended due to rain on June 28
with the score 8-0 in favor of Yabucoa in the fifth inning
the Yabucoeños added another run in the eighth inning for the final tally
Yabucoa got dominating performances from pitchers Cristian González
who earned the win with four innings in relief and two hits allowed
Left-hander Bryan Sanabria allowed the Azucareros’ first three runs to take the loss for San Sebastián
Gerald Ceballos homered and drove in two runs for Yabucoa
while Jan Hernández went 2-for-2 with three runs scored and an RBI
The Double A postseason semifinal pairings were established as a result of Yauco’s victory
with the Mulos and Titanes squaring off in series A
and the Azucareros and Toritos meeting on the B side
Elsewhere in the Carnival of Champions on Sunday
the Peces Voladores of Salinas finished with a 5-2 victory over Juncos
Right-hander Yadiel Rolón was the winning pitcher with five innings and Jonerick Hernández took the loss
Raúl Febus homered and Pedro Nazario scored a pair of runs for Salinas
which closed the round robin tournament at 3-3
Secretary of Economic Development Manuel Laboy said the thermal ocean energy park in Yabucoa should be completed in five years
the government followed the lead of similar projects in Hawaii (image above) and Japan
The proposed plant would produce 500 kilowatts of energy and be developed by the private sector
Amidst a fierce debate over the need for energy reform
the Department of Economic Development and Commerce unveiled last week a plan to develop the Puerto Rico Ocean Technology Complex (PROtech)
a technological park to generate ocean thermal energy and promote other eco-friendly initiatives
to be situated on the southeast area of the island
would produce 500 kilowatts of energy through a collaboration with the private sector
which would pick up the tab for the development
Economic Development Secretary Manuel Laboy explained during a press conference at the agency’s headquarters in Hato Rey that the project had been in the works for three years
and that it would follow the lead of similar initiatives in Hawaii and Japan in order to transform the island into a world-class example and center for sustainable ocean economy
“This project is extremely important and innovative
which will be developed in the municipality of Yabucoa
but will have a positive impact on the economy of Puerto Rico’s entire southeast region,” Laboy said alongside representatives from Invest PR
Technology and Research Trust and Mayor of Yabucoa Rafael Surillo
The natural qualities of the zone -waters with temperatures of 36 degrees Fahrenheit and depths of 1,000 meters- make it a perfect match for the project since ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) technology produces energy by harnessing the temperature differences between ocean surface waters and deep ocean waters
It will impact the southeast region that is well in need of capital and economic development,” indicated Laboy in reference to the crisis created in the zone by the ongoing seismic activity that caused the 6.4 magnitude earthquake six weeks ago
the project should generate some 10,000 jobs in an area with poverty rates that oscillate between 45 percent and 56 percent
“This master plan is designed for execution
It is not an additional study that is going to end up in a drawer
that is why it took us almost three years,” Laboy stated when asked about other grandiloquent government initiatives that simply fade into memory
and the approval of a debt restructuring deal draws near
the Center for a New Economy warns about possible pitfalls along the way
He estimated that PROtech would take five years to develop
The first of five phases starts next month
with the Request for Qualifications process
The government has yet to identify possible investors for the project
Land surveys and the initial permitting process should begin during the third quarter of this year
while the third phase is set to start during the second quarter of 2021
The fourth phase of development and construction should begin during the first quarter of 2022
with a completion date set for the first quarter of 2025
“It is estimated that approximately $300 million will be needed for the entire construction
Developers will be able to request incentives available through the Opportunity Zones program and CDBG-DR funds,” mentioned Laboy
Besides the ocean thermal energy conversion plant
the park hopes to launch emerging industries like algae farming
a research institute and other local ventures
“This is a project that we will need to develop through partnerships between municipal and state governments
organizations such as Invest Puerto Rico and academia,” highlighted the secretary of economic development
More than 16,500 Prepa clients generate their own energy
we have implemented several initiatives in accordance with the Puerto Rico Public Policy Law
which establishes the need to comply with a renewable energy portfolio to reach a minimum of 40 percent of renewable energy for or before of 2025; 60 percent on or before 2040; and 100 percent by or before 2050
This project is very important to achieve these long-term goals,” he added
When THE WEEKLY JOURNAL inquired about the scope of the project and how it tied into Puerto Rico’s Electric Power Authority (Prepa) proposed modernization grid plan
the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) or the transition charge included in the Restructuring Support Agreement (RSA) with bondholders
Laboy admitted that the ocean thermal energy conversion plant would not make a dent in an energy reform or transformation of the system due to its size
It is a drop of water in the Integrated Resource Plan
Since it’s so small you won’t see it reflected there
but Prepa’s executive director endorses this initiative,” he insisted
“This conversation is not meant to delve into Prepa’s situation
This is about pilot plant that has to comply with all regulations.”
The proposed debt restructuring agreement imposes a transition charge on all consumers that remain connected to Prepa’s grid
even those residents and businesses that generate their own electricity
Environmental and consumer advocate groups have warned that this charge will disincentivize the generation of sustainable energy on the island
jurisdiction with the most expensive electricity rate
"It is estimated that approximately $300 million will be needed for the entire construction
Developers will be able to request incentives available through the Opportunity Zones program and CDBG-DR funds," Secretary of Economic Development Manuel Laboy
(WEAR) — Attached is satellite & radar..
This catastrophic Category 4 Hurricane made landfall near Yabucoa
Puerto Ricoon the southeastern coast of Puerto Rico at 5:15 am CDT with winds of 60 mph with a wind gust at 113 mph reported around 7 am
Maria will continue ripping across Puerto Rico and bring up to 2 feet of rain before heading back into the Tropical Atlantic
Maria will then continue tracking northwest as a major hurricane as impacts will then be felt in the US & British Virgin Islands where they will see 10-15"
the rivers in Puerto Rico continue rising to major flood stage as there are now 13 out of 27 rivers in major flood stage
The Rio Grande near Ciales has a flood stage of 10 feet
it is now at 42.62 feet where it was just at 3 feet this morning
but models have been consistent in keeping Maria out to sea and following Jose due to steering currents
With Jose likely stalling in the Atlantic near the New England coast
a high pressure in the Atlantic and a high pressure over the U.S.
Maria will likely follow behind Jose in between the two high pressures and stay out in the Atlantic
If Maria does end up "catching up" to Jose
we MAY then see an effect called the Fujiwhara effect
This effect happens when two hurricanes spinning in the same direction come close enough to each other
they begin to "dance" around each other before the weaker one (in this case Jose) merges with the stronger tropical disturbance (in this case
anyone could tell a personal story of loss from the hurricane
so many hold each other close on the dance floor
while others sit on plastic chairs tapping their feet to the music or lean against the bar ordering drinks
Puerto Rico — A middle-aged man sways across the outdoor dance floor
nodding and smiling at friends as he moves to the rhythm of the bachata coming from a band called Grupo Melaza Mania
the man holds a can of Medalla Premium Light beer
He extends his right hand to a woman in tall black heels
ripped skinny jeans and a tight bun of black hair streaked with gray
as though they’ve been doing it since they were born
an outdoor dance club and unofficial haven for local residents off the main road into the small town of Yabucoa
near the southeastern coast of Puerto Rico
The place has been crowded with dancers and onlookers since the band started playing after 2
Beads of water form on the beer and water bottles that are piling up on tables between friends
“What do you want to hear?” the band leader shouts to the crowd
The men and women at the dance hall are mostly in their 50s
60s and 70s — and though the place won’t close until 10 p.m.
before it gets dark and the lightless streets become too hard to navigate
It’s an adjustment the music lovers have made since the club reopened in late August after being closed for 11 months as a result of the destruction caused by Hurricane Maria on Sept
The devastating storm left the town of about 34,000 people without a single working stoplight and many roads without working lights of any kind
In the crowd of a hundred or so at the dance hall on this day
has been a place for locals from Yabucoa and surrounding towns to dance
drink and eat fried empanadillas made by the owner
a dance floor that fits dozens of couples and a patio area where dozens more spend the time
has made the club into a place where customers feel as though they’re with family
consider it a place where they can dance without the worries they sometimes experience at other dance clubs in nearby towns
many regulars at La Gozadera — which was a wreck — were left without an outlet for their stress at a time when people went months without light
scrambled to find basic necessities and struggled to figure out how to rebuild homes that were damaged or destroyed
“It was like something was missing and we needed it back to feel normal again,” says customer Shirley Martinez
says her aunt died after Maria struck the island
It hit all of us hard,” she says of the storm
Rodriguez is holding a Michelob Ultra beer in one hand and a Benson & Hedges cigarette in another
a fuchsia blouse and red lipstick as she mouths the words to “Te Amo,” a ballad that’s being played to a merengue beat
porque tanto cambiaste mi vida y borraste mi ayer.” If only I could understand why you so changed my life and erased my yesterday
has his right hand settled softly above Magdalena Rojas Gomez’s hip
They have been dancing together at La Gozadera for all the years it’s been open
Maria destroyed the second story of Barreto’s home in Caguas
They were without electricity for eight months
Barreto says he rebuilt without any outside help
and he would put his bed in a place where it wouldn’t get wet from rain and sleep watching the stars
“These things that happen are God’s decisions
Water flooded her home and trees smashed into it
Mojica takes Perez’s hand and they dance near their chairs
holds her waist from behind for a couple of steps and then spins her around once more
He pulls her close and kisses her gently on the cheek
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swept the defending champions Guaynabo Mets to claim the 2023-24 U-18 Double-A Baseball League in Puerto Rico
It's the second pennant in three years for the Azucareros Junior
Azucareros-Mets 1-0Azucareros-Mets 6-3Azucareros-Mets 6-1
Pitcher Jan El Jet Martinez starred for Yabucoa
He threw a complete-game shut out in Game One and earned the save in Game Three
Carlos Aponte earned the win in Game Three
while Yavier Medina batted in three of the six runs
who combined four hits and three RBIs in the series
Albonito Polluelos and Gurabo Halcones will compete in the final weekend of the Champions Cup (Copa de Campeones)
the warm-up tournament to the 2024 Double-A League
The 2024 Superior Double-A League will open on 18 February at the Juan Cheo Lopez Stadium
the home of the defending champions Arenosos in Camuy
The other teams will take the field on 23 February
It's the 84th edition of the Superior Double-A League
Three former Major League Baseball (MLB) players will be managers in the 2024 Double-A League
Juan Igor Gonzalez will manage the Cayey Toritos
Edwards Guzman will lead the Caguas Criollos while Luis Wicho Figueroa will serve as the skipper for Vega Baja Melao Melao
The 2024 edition is dedicated to Luis Rivera Toledo
who will officiate the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day
Rivera was a physical education teacher who contributed to baseball as a player
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and ArcLight Capital Partners have announced a milestone power and battery infrastructure project – a 15 MW storage project paired with a 32 MW solar project in the Yabucoa Municipality of Puerto Rico
a wholly owned subsidiary of a fund managed by ArcLight
a leading battery energy storage integrator and software technology provider
The project will provide needed reliability and flexibility to the local grid
and with increased power from the YFN Yabucoa solar project
It will comply with some of the most demanding grid specifications (Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority requirements) by utilising FlexGen’s industry-leading HybridOS energy management system platform and digital controls
“This project expands our current fleet in Puerto Rico to over 100 MW
Coupled with our development pipeline of over 1 GW of renewable assets
it represents another step towards the strategic objective of being the leading developer and operator of solar and storage capacity in Puerto Rico,” said Leslie Hufstetler
“We are partnering with FlexGen to help deliver renewable power
reliability and grid enhancements to the infrastructure and people of Puerto Rico where power demand is expected to continue to grow.”
“Energy storage is critical to helping Puerto Rico with extreme weather and grid reliability
The island also has some of the strictest grid requirements in the world
We are proud to have been chosen and to partner with Infinigen Renewables for this project
a leading renewables developer and operator
resources and experience in the local market
they know more than anyone what it takes to bring projects online successfully,” added Kelcy Pegler
The Spring 2024 issue of Energy Global starts with a guest comment from Field on how battery storage sites can serve as a viable solution to curtailed energy
before moving on to a regional report from Théodore Reed-Martin
looking at the state of renewables in Europe
This issue also hosts an array of technical articles on electrical infrastructure
Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/solar/18042024/infinigen-renewables-announces-solarbattery-storage-project-in-puerto-rico/
Lantana Capital Ltd has been appointed as the mandated sell-side advisor for the public auction of Heliosphera SA's bankrupt solar panel factory in Tripoli
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Puerto Rico — “We were hit by two hurricanes
This is what person after person told us during a fact-finding reporting and solidarity trip to Puerto Rico in late May by the Militant editor and a reporter for the paper
both members of the Socialist Workers Party
We visited towns and rural communities in the southeast as well as the capital
What they described is the result of capitalist rule in a nation under the U.S
workers told us the ways they have begun to organize to confront the social catastrophe that unfolded after the storm devastated the island last September
Protests have been organized by people who had never been involved in such activity — demanding the government restore electric service and provide aid
and opposing the closure of public schools
The big-business media has portrayed working people here as helpless victims
“Yabucoa Lives Amid Resignation and Darkness,” was the front-page headline in the May 28 El Nuevo Día
But the picture we saw was quite different
In face of the collapse of services essential to daily life and the callous indifference to what working people faced from capitalist authorities — from Washington to San Juan — what comes through is resilience and increased confidence
as thousands join together in working-class and rural neighborhoods across the island to fight
And there’s a thirst to know why this happened to them and how they can make sure it never happens again
because that’s what we’re doing here,” said Lenis Rodríguez as he took us around his hometown of Yabucoa
Rodríguez works afternoon shifts at a nearby pharmaceutical plant and spends much of his free time organizing together with other residents to help meet basic needs
both in the city and surrounding rural areas
he and others in the Jardines de Yabucoa neighborhood organized a “march of the flashlights” to protest the government’s inaction
It was covered live by reporter Yeidy Vega
who herself lives in an area of Humacao that still lacks service
“I try to cover all the demonstrations I can get to.”
“The next day I got a call from engineers at the electric company,” Rodríguez said with a smile
“That’s how our neighborhood got power back
But most of Yabucoa is still without electrical service
tens of thousands of people remain without power
and in Utuado and other towns in the mountainous interior
“It was just a matter of time before a disaster like this was going to happen,” said Raúl Laboy
a retired electrical worker in the Mariana neighborhood
and the priority of the colonial rulers is to enrich U.S
We are not the owners of our own country.”
Since Washington invaded and seized Puerto Rico in 1898
capitalists have warped its economy to serve their profit interests
They have turned the island into an export platform based on superexploited labor
maintaining a large reserve of unemployed workers
keeping wages and living standards much lower than in the United States
which began in the world capitalist depression in the mid-1970s
as the global crisis further battered the island
bondholders — now at $74 billion — the colonial government has slashed 30,000 public employee jobs
closed more than 100 schools and put 266 more on the chopping block
and changed laws to make it easier for bosses to fire workers at will
capitalists are imposing their decisions even more directly on us,” said Angel Figueroa Jaramillo
which now makes the economic decisions in Puerto Rico
they want to carry out even more drastic cuts in social benefits and eliminate rights workers have won.” The board
was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2016
Speaking with us at the UTIER hall in San Juan
Figueroa and union Vice President Freddyson Martínez said the junta and colonial authorities are stepping up pressure to sell off the state-run Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority to private owners
They are seizing on widespread resentment of government mismanagement of the utility
which accounts for $9 billion of the total debt
“It’s not a surprise the electrical grid collapsed,” Figueroa said
“Our union had been warning for a long time that more blackouts were bound to happen because of decades of lack of maintenance and reductions in personnel
“The power authority had reduced inventories to a bare minimum and sold off equipment in order to make debt payments,” Figueroa said
sharply slowing the process of restoring power
Army Corps of Engineers and the electrical company awarded billion-dollar contracts to Cobra Energy and other U.S
contractors to import supplies and deploy line crews
the Army Corps suddenly announced it would withdraw its 700 line workers from Puerto Rico
That outraged many workers we met in Humacao and Yabucoa
The social catastrophe and anti-labor attacks have generated mounting anger among working people
Both of the ruling colonial parties responsible for these attacks are deeply discredited
“We saw the mood of the working class in the May Day marches both this year and last
with tens of thousands of marchers,” said José Rodríguez
a union representative for the Solidarity Union Movement (MSS)
The union represents workers at a Pepsi bottling plant
a Pepsi delivery truck driver and MSS president
told us the union is involved in an effort to organize 1,800 Coca-Cola distribution workers
The May Day marches also drew university students
one of the University of Puerto Rico students who helped lead last year’s student strike
your tuition will jump from $850 to more than $1,700 per semester,” he said
“And they’re closing down some student housing that working-class youth from out of town rely on,” said Verónica Figueroa
Díaz and Figueroa are among seven youths who face felony and other charges filed against them by U.S
authorities because of their role in the student protests
Our two-day visit to the island’s southeast corner was especially striking
both by how naked the face of the capitalist crisis has become to millions and by working people’s response to it — the resistance
a municipality of 52,000 that encompasses the main town and rural communities
thousands of residents and small businesses were still without electricity
Many homes had blue tarps where the roofs had been ripped off
the owners still waiting for aid to rebuild
We were invited by local residents to visit the neighborhood of Mariana
reachable by narrow roads that wind up and up the hills
not a single government official showed up here,” Mariana resident Ivette Díaz told us
Her house was damaged when a neighbor’s home was torn off its foundation and slammed into hers
“We got no help from the government,” she said
“So neighbors just got together and started to clean up everything.” They cleared debris to reopen the roads
They cleaned up their homes and those of their neighbors
By the second week some federal agencies showed up
“The mayor of Humacao came to Mariana a month later
The governor of Puerto Rico arrived in town to inaugurate the Walmart when it reopened
Her phone service was finally restored in January
She now has electricity; many others in Mariana don’t
the Recreational and Educational Community Association of Mariana Neighborhood
which offers stunning views of the lush countryside below
One wall is decorated with a mural depicting Julia de Burgos
that was painted by New York artist Molly Crabapple last October
told us a little about the organization’s work in Mariana
“Everything this community has was won through years of struggle
ARECMA was founded in 1982 but community struggles go back to the 1960s
as they successfully battled to get the government to provide drinking water
“After the hurricane everything collapsed,” said Laboy
we weren’t surprised that we got no help from the government
We were ready and began to organize ourselves.” People pushed aside debris to look for their neighbors
They patched up damaged roofs and broken windows
Abreu proudly showed us the community kitchen they set up
where volunteers serve meals every weekday to people who have no power to cook
At the high point they provided 500 lunches a day
They appealed for and received donations from Puerto Rican communities in the United States
They showed us the eating area and the water-filtration equipment they set up to provide drinking water
They have raised money for solar panels to run the kitchen and become a little more self-reliant
while fighting for the government to restore service to all
They built recreational facilities with musical and other cultural activities for the children
Laboy pointed to the class bias of the government’s priorities in Humacao
They first made sure to restore power for the luxury villas in the Palmas del Mar resort and the Ex-Lax and other U.S
Abreu said there have been numerous demonstrations in Humacao demanding restoration of electrical service
and a march on the bridge between Humacao and Las Piedras,” she said
“Some people went to San Juan to demonstrate in front of government offices.”
Similar actions took place across the island
Now some kids have to travel 5 kilometers [3 miles] to and from school
Transportation is more difficult in rural areas,” Abreu said
Laboy took us to another part of Mariana where her brother Raúl “Ruly” Laboy was helping rebuild another brother’s house whose roof was ripped off and windows shattered by the storm
The retired electrician explained that many who applied to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for aid to rebuild their homes have been turned down
agency demands property deeds and other documents that many in rural areas don’t have
“If you don’t have a deed you have to hire a land surveyor and go to court
It can take 10 years and a lot of money to get legal documents to prove you own a house that belonged to your grandfather,” he said
We rely on working-class solidarity and that makes me happy.”
He was excited to meet two members of the Socialist Workers Party from the U.S
he subscribed to the Militant and purchased some books we brought by SWP leaders on revolutionary politics
The next day we went to the coastal town of Yabucoa
You can see the island of Vieques — for decades a target of U.S
Navy practice bombings and of protests by residents that finally stopped them
It’s where Hurricane Maria made direct landfall and where some 60 percent of homes still had no electricity when we were there
Lenis Rodríguez organized a full day of visits for us in different rural neighborhoods
Rodríguez has been a leader of Yabucoa Support Group
he and others in the group went into action to recruit volunteers to help bring food and supplies to neighbors and residents of other communities
In March he organized the “march of the flashlights,” which inspired similar protests in Humacao and other areas demanding the government restore power
“You can see a class bias here,” Rodríguez said
“People in these areas don’t get attention that other classes get.”
we were invited into the home of Annette Aponte
They were eager to talk to Militant reporters “so people in the United States can hear what we’re going through,” Annette said
Mario is a living history of the Puerto Rican working class
but he came alive telling us how as a teenager in the early 1960s he had cut sugarcane with a machete when the big Roig sugar mill in Yabucoa was still running
like tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans in the 1950s
he migrated to the United States and got jobs as a farmworker in New Jersey
He also worked at the Union Carbide electrode plant in Yabucoa that later closed
20 when the hurricane barreled into Yabucoa
Their front gate and windows were blown out and the house
the containment wall behind the house broke and slid down the hill
They were afraid the house would follow it
we were able to go down to the town and ask for a tarp to reinforce the ground behind the house
But the mayor’s office refused us any help,” Annette Aponte said
She was out of work and without income for three months after the storm
“We went to FEMA to ask for financial help to rebuild the containment wall,” she said
“They turned us down twice but we kept appealing
The third FEMA inspector asked for documents
The Tejas neighborhood was still without power when we visited
“My father has diabetes and we need ice to keep his insulin supply refrigerated,” she said
“But the mayor of Yabucoa hasn’t even bothered to come up here
and he’s been slow in responding to our needs,” Aponte said
She told us she thinks part of the reason is that he represents the Popular Democratic Party while most Tejas residents voted for the rival
Patronage politics by both colonial parties has a long history in Puerto Rico
Aponte said that the government in Yabucoa had announced that five schools would be closed
“Parents and students went into the streets to protest
and they were able to save two of the schools.”
As she waved goodbye to us from her front entrance
next to her was a large Puerto Rican flag hanging on the outside wall
Since the storm working people across the island have displayed the flag on their homes and cars
Next we visited Orlando and Aida Ramos in the neighborhood of Ingenio
Born in the Bronx and moving here as a child
Orlando worked in the mid-1970s at the nearby Roig sugar mill; earlier we had stopped to see the long-abandoned buildings that sit today as giant rusting hulks
He later worked hanging chickens in poultry plants
Aida worked in poultry plants in Massachusetts and garment shops in Puerto R
Aida Ramos reported that just two days earlier the first repair crews from Cobra had arrived in the neighborhood
But eight months without power has taken a toll on working people here
“A neighbor who was in ill health died yesterday,” Orlando said
And no TV to relieve the mental stress everyone has been going through.”
Several other workers told us of relatives or neighbors who had died over the past months as a result of similar conditions
either at home or at medical facilities crippled by the storm
Orlando appreciated the discussion about the capitalist crisis we face both in Puerto Rico and the U.S.
and how workers can unite to fight more effectively today
He said he looked forward to us coming back
“Let me know when and I’ll fire up the barbecue,” he said
Lenis Rodríguez introduced us to Luis “Cheverito” Velázquez
who are organized into associations in many coastal towns
have had to fight for basic things like getting the local government to build a small dock
Hurricane Maria destroyed the little dock — along with fishing traps and other equipment — and now Velázquez and others have to launch their boats from the beach
A fellow fisherman who has electricity makes his refrigerator available so they can store their catch
goes fishing on his 16-foot boat with two other crew members at least once a week
He also works full time as a janitor at the school in Punta Santiago and is active in the union
“It’s a poor neighborhood where most of the kids come from families of fishermen,” he said
turning it into a place people could gather in and use
Velázquez sometimes fishes off nearby Vieques
“The water is still contaminated with shells and other waste left from when the U.S
Navy used Vieques for target practice until we forced them to stop,” he said
“It was truly David and Goliath — the fishermen with their little boats and their slingshots standing up to the Navy with their giant ships and resources,” he said
He says when we come back he’ll take us to meet fishermen in Vieques
Rebuilding after the storm is one more battle
Maunabo and Yabucoa have been awarded status among the 50 best places to travel the world in 2024 by Travel Lemming
a U.S.-based online travel guide read by more than 10 million travelers and known for its focus on encouraging travelers to go “off the lemming path.”
The annual list of 50 best places to travel highlights “emerging destinations and hidden gems around the world.”
The Center for the Study of Economic Liberty at Arizona State University published the Doing…
“Puerto Rico has many places to see and explore
Maunabo’s and Yabucoa’s spectacular coastline
and unique outdoor experiences are among the best on the Island
They can create those awe moments for travelers looking for an authentic Boricua experience,” said Brad Dean
“Sunrises at the Punta Tuna area in Maunabo are like no other
scenic beauty and amazing beaches combine with a rich cultural heritage portrayed in the culinary offer and the town traditions
are within our invitation to travelers to experience our island
The article calls Maunabo a “hidden gem along Puerto Rico’s east coast.” It says that “intrepid travelers” will love Maunabo in particular
and seafood-centric dining scene” are among its top attractions
The site also describes Yabucoa a place where “history
and nature come together,” and notes that travelers should explore ruins
the top 10 places to travel in 2024 are: Yucatán
the full list of 50 destinations includes 15 in Europe
five in North America (besides the U.S.) and 17 in the United States
its list “is filled with places perfect for longer trips and embracing a slower – and more sustainable – pace of travel.”
The annual list is a collaborative project of the publication’s team of more than 35 travel writers and editors
Travel Lemming’s local travel experts each nominate their favorite destinations for consideration by the publication’s editorial board
Tickets to Puerto Rico bought from locations outside the island rose by 25% for the current fourth quarter of 2023 and by 53% for the first qu…
Adalberto, known in the community as “El Mudo,” was in dire need of help. His home was devastated by Hurricane Maria
The metal roof over his son’s bedroom and the kitchen had blown away completely.
Adalberto keeps documents and photos of his home to show the damage from the storm
He used these photos to communicate the work that needed to be done and where assistance was needed — fixing his roof and stopping the leaks inside his home
which specializes in building roofs out of corrugated galvanized iron (CGI) sheets and wooden structures
They removed the rusted untreated sheets that were strapped with wires and tape and started reinforcing and building a new structure to mount the new CGI sheets onto
in the initial assessment of the home; Adalberto’s method of communicating is not formal sign language; he uses simple gestures in his conversations
Because she was the first to visit his home
Garley feels she has a special connection to Adalberto and wanted to be a part of working on his home
Mars Simpson lives in Seattle and works as an ecology focused landscape designer
He said the work on Adalberto’s home has been gratifying
despite any challenges the team faced from the preexisting work not being to code
the team repaired and reinforced the existing building
but it ensures the home can withstand hurricane winds
Simpson also volunteered with All Hands and Hearts in St. John, USVI
mostly in critical repair and interior work
His dad taught him the skills he needed to build a roof and repair homes
you never know when you’ll need these skills
Laura Valles is from Spain and works as an architect
She has experience fixing and restoring buildings
and she designed a way to fix Adalberto’s roof using Revit
The team is grateful for her skills in designing practical solutions
“it’s a productive and there’s a warm culture on base.”
As soon as his team completes the CGI work
critical repair team and sanitation team will complete the house
ensuring Adalberto is able to enjoy his home worry-free
Coincidently, Moctezuma’s home was the 400th cement roof repaired and sealed by the All Hands and Hearts volunteers in Yabucoa. There are hundreds of families that need assistance in reinforcing their homes and making them more secure for hurricanes to come. Help Yabucoa residents by contributing with a donation today
Story and photos by Alicia Kidd for All Hands and Hearts
Yabucoa, Puerto Rico
Buckeye Partners LP’s Yabucoa oil terminal in Puerto Rico has two berths and capacity for about 4.6 million barrels
Sept 22 (Reuters) – Buckeye Partners LP’s Yabucoa oil terminal in Puerto Rico remained closed on Friday
days after Hurricane Maria left a trail of destruction and at least 25 people dead across the Caribbean
oil storage and transportation company did not say if the tanks at the 4.6-million-barrel terminal were damaged by the storm
but it said a full assessment of the facility is under way
“We are working to maintain the safety and well-being of our Yabucoa
Puerto Rico employees,” it said in a statement
with capacity to store up to 13.03 million barrels of oil
also has been unable to reopen after a previous hurricane
The closure of oil terminals in the Caribbean and restrictions to load and discharge large vessels in several Texas ports have constrained flows of crude and refined products across the Atlantic in recent weeks
the second major hurricane to hit the Caribbean this month
lashed the Turks and Caicos Islands on Friday after knocking out power to all of Puerto Rico and pushing several rivers to record flood levels
(Reporting by Marianna Parraga; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update
and updates delivered daily straight to your inbox
May 2 (Reuters) – A ship carrying humanitarian aid and activists for Gaza was bombed by drones in international waters off Malta early on Friday
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Iran on Wednesday that it will face consequences for supporting the Houthis
even as the United States has relaunched talks with Iran over its nuclear program
The US economy contracted at the start of the year for the first time since 2022 on a monumental pre-tariffs import surge and more moderate consumer spending
a first snapshot of the ripple effects from President Donald Trump’s trade policy
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the mayor of a town with one of Puerto Rico’s most critical ports
easing around downed power lines and crumpled tree branches - to check his email
At the wheel of his “guagua”- local slang for an SUV - he sometimes finds a spotty cellphone signal on a highway overpass
with no working landline and no Internet access
he operates more like a 19th-century mayor of Yabucoa
orchestrating the city’s business in an information vacuum
dispatching notes scrawled on slips of paper - about problems such as balky generators and misdirected water deliveries - that he hands to runners
On the other side of the mayor’s favorite overpass spot
one of the generators at the area’s biggest hospital has collapsed from exhaustion
and the frazzled staff has stopped admitting new patients
Deeper into the island’s mountainous interior
thirsty Puerto Ricans draw drinking water from the mud-caked crevasses of roadside rock formations and bathe in creeks too small to have names
“We feel completely abandoned here,” Surillo Ruiz said with a heavy sigh
It has been three weeks since Hurricane Maria savaged Puerto Rico
and life in the capital city of San Juan inches toward something that remotely resembles a new
Families once again loll on the shaded steps of the Mercado de Santurce traditional market on a Sunday afternoon
and a smattering of restaurants and stores open their doors along sidewalks still thick with debris and tangled power lines
But much of the rest of the island lies in the chokehold of a turgid
frustrating and perilous slog toward recovery
35-mile wide island plunges into profound darkness
exposing the impotence of a long-troubled power grid that was tattered by Maria’s winds and rains
Eighty-four percent of the island is still without power
and local officials in many areas are steeling themselves - with a sense of anger and dread - for six months or more without electricity
Roughly half of Puerto Ricans have no working cellphone service
creating islands of isolation within the island and cutting off hundreds of thousands of people in regions outside the largest metropolitan areas from regular contact with their families
who has set up a community kitchen near the southeastern city of Humacao
has dubbed the new reality Puerto Rico’s “dystopian future.”
Accompanying that vision of the future are worries about outbreaks of diseases such as scabies and Zika
which is transmitted by mosquitoes breeding in standing water
Just 63 percent of the island’s residents have access to clean drinking water
and only 60 percent of wastewater treatment plants are operating
according to figures released by the Federal Emergency Management Agency
such as the San Juan neighborhood of Carolina and the mountain town of Canovanas
doctors are seeing worrying numbers of patients with conjunctivitis and gastritis brought on by contaminated water and poor hygiene
With electrical and cellphone outages complicating commerce
large swaths of the island - and even many spots within the biggest cities - are cash-only zones
More than 40 percent of bank branches have yet to reopen
and barely more than 560 ATMs are functioning for an island with a population of more than 3.4 million
chronic gasoline shortages that plagued the early days after the storm seem to be easing
and 86 percent of grocery stores have reopened
But the journey to fill the gas tank or the shopping cart can be an exercise in faith and blind courage
crisscrossed by major highways and multilane streets
Only a surge of post-hurricane politeness and patience seems to be preventing the morgues from swelling with traffic fatalities
The roads in and out of San Juan are lined by denuded hillsides
searing off leaves and stripping away topsoil
A surreal consequence of Maria’s transformation of the island’s landscape is the lack of shade in once-divine town squares and jungle-like hinterlands
It is enough to make many Puerto Ricans consider fleeing the island for good
even though the thought of leaving a place they love can still seem implausible
What awaits many of them here is protracted subsistence living
In places such as the surfer haven of Playa Jobos on the northwestern coast
a woman whose wooden house was blown to bits has taken to living in a disabled food truck outfitted with a hammock
I know that I don’t want this for them,” said Lucy Rivera
an unemployed single mother who has crammed nine people
including her disabled mother and mentally ill brother
into a house that lost its roof in the town of Canovanas near El Yunque National Forest
and her government assistance card is useless in the many businesses that have gone cash-only
So she sits in traffic for hours in a borrowed car trying to find food and get medical care
On a recent afternoon on one of those choked Puerto Rican roads
cars jammed with children and plastic jugs pulled over to gaze at the ingenuity of Jesus Sanchez
Sanchez had fished a six-foot length of PVC pipe out of a ditch in Toa Alta
He had lashed it to a forked branch with some shredded cloth and inserted the mouth of the pipe into a crook that began gushing water in the steep limestone hillside above his head
Marrero Nieves proceeded to toss plastic jugs - empty containers that once held cranberry juice and canola oil - over to Sanchez
More than 2½ weeks had passed since the storm
and he had not received any aid at their house
The roads narrow as they snake up the mountains
then dip down into the jaw-dropping valleys of central Puerto Rico
passing by town after town where the wind tore roofs off nearly every humble cinder-block dwelling and splintered the yet-humbler wooden shacks
Flamboyant trees that once prettied the countryside with branches lit by brilliant red flowers lie by the thousands alongside thick-trunked rubber trees
Stands of bamboo with stalks thicker than the fat end of a baseball bat form archways that scrape the roofs of all but the squattest of cars
Being miles away from the coast provided no safety to the residents of Morovis
a town of about 30,000 that sprawls over bluffs and into ravines in north-central Puerto Rico
couldn’t stand the smell of sweat anymore and headed for a trickling creek south of town
like in the time of our grandparents,” she called out to a friend
as she plunged a shirt into a five-gallon paint primer bucket filled with creek water and detergent
and like many middle- and lower-middle-class Puerto Ricans
and she has not worked a moment since the storm hit on Sept
Rivera’s dilemma is the same as that facing Eric Bonet and Sherrie Berrios
a couple who work as dog groomers in the town of Barceloneta
they were hungry and thirsty when Bonet turned to her and said
“I think I’m going to turn the car into a pickup truck.”
Bonet quickly stripped the seats out of the back of their 1994 Nissan Altima
He enlisted a buddy to join them and stuffed some couch cushions in the back so Berrios would have a place to sit
rifling through a pile of garbage across from an outdoor bar until they found an old-fashioned restaurant sign with an aluminum frame
Bonet ripped it off with an eight-inch Ginsu kitchen knife and added the loot to the rest of the treasures they had strapped to the car’s roof
Days of work earned them $140 at 30 cents a pound
There is almost no place on the island where the enterprising scavenger couple couldn’t stand a decent chance of adding to their pile
The storm was so brutal and so wide that it covered the length and breadth of the island
according to government estimates that some here consider far below the real figure
But only one place can claim to be the spot where Maria made landfall
and that is down along the southeastern coast near Yabucoa
which is perfect for growing plantains but is also an ideal funnel for hurricane winds
Carmen Manso presides at a senior center that doubles as a local museum inside a grand
century-old house with wide wooden beams and tile floors that resemble a checkerboard
stick to the lower floor because the storm tore off much of the building’s roof
exposing upstairs rooms filled with paintings
this is like Niagara Falls,” Manso says with a chuckle
She does not have much choice but to laugh
One morning she set off with several of her clients’ ATM cards so she could withdraw money for them
She drove 25 minutes to the town of Humacao
She drove another half-hour to the town of Gurabo
She pressed on another 20 minutes down the road and arrived at a bank in Caguas
The line at the ATM trailed down the street; 2½ hours later
she finally was able to pull out some cash for her clients
She returned to a place where the mayor had been run out of city hall by storm winds that punched a massive
The mayor is now based in a small conference room in his town’s medical clinic
He got a satellite phone as government recovery aid
but he can’t make it work - a complaint other mayors with similar technology have echoed
On his nightly trip in search of a cellphone signal
Surillo Ruiz keeps hearing from people on the U.S
the heartthrob Puerto Rican singer whose charitable foundation has been active in the relief effort
But Surillo Ruiz really does not know how to respond to most requests
that aid intended for Yabucoa will make it to Yabucoa
He worries that it will either be misappropriated because of corruption or mishandled through incompetence or confusion
He worries even more about the potential for a health crisis
The nearest full-scale medical center - Ryder Memorial Hospital
a 103-year-old nonprofit institution - is 13 hard-driving miles away
Hallman and other hospital executives were unstinting in their criticism of Puerto Rico’s health secretary
accusing him of wasting time “assigning blame” to others and sowing “divisiveness.” Health Department officials have not responded to requests for comment
One of Ryder’s generators failed a few days ago
and several critically ill patients had to be flown to a U.S
which according to the hospital’s protocols are not supposed to run for more than seven days
Hallman was passing through an area with cell coverage a few days ago
An administrator at another hospital told her about a meeting with government health officials in San Juan
a gathering that was supposed to be an opportunity for the government to tell hospitals what it could do to help them
Each hospital got a sheet listing the aid it would receive following government assessments of their needs
There was only one problem: Ryder had not asked for diesel
the hospital had been asking - over and over
through 10 site visits by Puerto Rican and federal officials - for repairs to the electrical grid that would end their reliance on generators
“The government just needs to put the grid back,” Lirio Torres Sepulveda
Portraits of pride on the "island of enchantment"
by Alex Q. Arbuckle(opens in a new tab)
A worker on a pineapple plantation near Manati
From its first inhabitation by Taíno natives to its centuries of rule under Spain and later the United States
Puerto Rico has developed a culture and character unique among the islands of the Caribbean
photographers from the Farm Security Administration visited the island to document the working conditions of plantation laborers cultivating sugarcane
as well as daily life both in the capital of San Juan and in remote mountain villages
Photographer Jack Delano became so enamored with the people and way of life that he made Puerto Rico his permanent home
A tobacco farm in the Puerto Rico Rehabilitation Administration agricultural experiment area near Cayey
Farmers cultivate tobacco near Barranquitas
The family of an FSA borrower near Barranquitas
Members of a glee club sing during a party for FSA borrowers in Corozal
Farmers' wives who live in the hills near Corozal
A worker on a sugar plantation pauses for a lunch of rice
Striking sugar workers at a meeting in Yabucoa
The mayor of Yabucoa addresses a crowd of striking workers in the town plaza
Laborers on a sugar plantation near Arecibo
Laborers harvest sugarcane from a burned field near Guanica
An ox cart driver in a burned sugar cane field near Guanica
A worker on a sugar plantation takes a drink of water
A worker unloads sugarcane at a depot in San Sebastian
A woman working in a tobacco field near Barranquitas
Jíbaros (traditional farmers of the mountainous interior of the island) plant tobacco in a hillside
A woman who lives on land in Santurce that the FSA is buying for a land and utility housing project
Alex Q. Arbuckle
Kindertransport: A desperate effort to save children from the Holocaust
The old-school lumberjacks who felled giant trees with axes
Antique mourning jewelry contained the hair of the deceased
Rosie the Riveter IRL: Meet the women who built WWII planes
The streets of 1970s New York City: A decade of urban decay
grief at the scene of John Lennon's murder
This WWII women's dorm was the hippest spot in town
Rarely seen images from the Walt Disney Archives
black gold: When oil derricks loomed over California beaches
Chicago in ruins: The unimaginable aftermath of the Great Fire of 1871
This is what it looks like in San Juan as Maria makes landfall near southeast coastal town of Yabucoa at 6:15 am EST with winds of 155mph pic.twitter.com/yxqmuagK9J
Maria weakened from its peak Category 5 strength after passing through the Virgin Islands
It was still a terrifying storm upon landfall
The storm was downgraded to a Category 2 Wednesday afternoon
with sustained winds of 110 miles per hour
the eye of the storm was off the shore of northwestern Puerto Rico
skating past the northeastern coast of the Dominican Republic
Maria may regain some of its former strength
#GOES16 visible loop of Cat 4 Hurricane #Maria as the center passes over #PuertoRico. Max sustained winds are at 145 MPH. pic.twitter.com/BQYflfFfCX
Puerto Rico is still at risk of “dangerous” storm surge up to five feet along the coastlines. Heavy rains have sparked flash-flood warnings and emergencies across the island
Puerto Rico braced for somewhere between a foot and 18 inches of rain
with some isolated areas getting drenched with more than two feet of rainfall
Mudslides from the deluge are a growing risk
Compartmentalizing the hazards from Maria, torrential rainfall is likely leading to devastating flash flooding/mudslides across Puerto Rico. pic.twitter.com/6wHg85WyCy
“This is only the beginning,” Puerto Rico governor Ricardo Rosselló said earlier Wednesday. “More rain is yet to come and is going to cause major flooding and even more risk to life.”
WATCH: Floodwaters rush through streets of Guyama, Puerto Rico as Hurricane Maria strikes the island (via Cruz Rodriguez Keila) pic.twitter.com/apJvSRibDV
Indeed, “catastrophic” flooding remains the primary threat, even as Maria spins away. The mayor of San Juan, Carmen Yulín Cruz, told MSNBC that half of the city was underwater
Images from social media show streets turned into raging rivers:
Reportan inundación en Calle Antártico, San Juan Foto: Cristian Hernández (Facebook) pic.twitter.com/FptQptv2ms
Major flooding from #HurricaneMaria continues for San Juan, PR. Impacts from this storm include #flooding, wind damage, and high surf. pic.twitter.com/um9LxxRttc
Informo al Pueblo que acabo de solicitarle al Presidente Trump que declare a Puerto Rico Zona de Desastre @fema
Puerto Rico’s emergency manager Abner Gómez said 100 percent of Puerto Rico is without electricity. “Puerto Rico — when we can go outside — we are definitely going to find our island destroyed,” Gomez said
“The information that we have received is not encouraging
This is a system that has destroyed everything in its path.”
Video taken moments ago in #SanJuan - as #MariaPR ravages through #PuertoRico, help us recover by donating to https://t.co/xSFEX78SdW pic.twitter.com/csH0CKXySK
Officials had forewarned Puerto Ricans before Maria arrived that electricity could be down for weeks
Though Puerto Rico got a glancing blow from Irma
which skated the northern part of the island
at least 70,000 customers were still without power about two weeks on
Hurricane Maria so strong it's ripping doors off their frames at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum. #SanJuan #PuertoRico pic.twitter.com/nNx4N1qWr5
“This is total devastation,” said Carlos Mercader
the Puerto Rico director of federal affairs
in terms of the infrastructure — it will not be the same that we lived yesterday in the island
This is something of historic proportions.”
Images on social media show whipping winds
and flooded-out streets across Puerto Rico
The damage left behind looks likely to deal a crippling blow to the island’s economy
already struggling with a financial crisis
Así luce la avenida Luis Muñoz Rivera de camino al viejo San Juan. 📸 Vanessa Serra #huracanmaria #mariapr #huracan pic.twitter.com/PYo7m7yH5W
AHORA: Urbanizacion Quintas de Canovanas, tras Rio Grande de Loiza salirse de su cauce. Observe los buzones florando! pic.twitter.com/elroO1xi6c
WATCH: The current scene in San Juan as Hurricane Maria moves through Puerto Rico with winds topping 155 mph(Via @GadiNBC) pic.twitter.com/o7NM3m3Hxw
Varios sectores de Hato Rey ya están bajo agua tras el paso del #huracánMaría por la isla. Captura NOAA pic.twitter.com/QvFNt7WKy6
pic.twitter.com/LSpi1Xda0i
“The housing stock is significantly damaged or destroyed,” Henry said
“All available public buildings are being used as shelters; with very limited roofing materials evident.”
Communication with Dominica is still spotty
but footage is trickling out that shows an island ravaged by wind – debris littering hillsides
WATCH: Aerial footage shows Hurricane Maria's "total destruction" of Dominica https://t.co/Wxb8LARZ7s pic.twitter.com/b5NKPNYdYj
which was swiped by Irma on its way toward the Virgin Islands
St. Croix, one of the U.S. Virgin Islands largely spared by Irma, was within Maria’s grasp. According to the St. Croix Source
Thomas — which did get beaten up by Irma — experienced flooding as the latest hurricane passed through
pics from my Dad in #StCroix utter devastation #HurricaneMaria pic.twitter.com/5NrHv5yanA pic.twitter.com/SJmUb955YI
#Maria is expected to move off the N coast of PR, pass offshore the NE coast of Hispaniola, and move near the Turks & Caicos and SE Bahamas pic.twitter.com/uNDJMxnelm
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Companies selected to develop ocean thermal-energy park
The Puerto Rico Ocean Technology Complex (PROtech) development project in Yabucoa will be carried out by WSP USA Building Inc
after the central government completed the selection process to develop the $300 million project that will be the center of multiple eco-friendly projects and scientific research
the project will be the first of its kind in the Caribbean
“We thank the 34 companies that showed interest in being the architects of the world’s largest OTEC [ocean thermal energy conversion] pilot plant that will create an ecosystem that integrates research
innovation and economic development by creating industries that derive from deep water use
and Marvel Architects because the collaboration between these two companies creates a highly qualified team with international experience and the capacity to develop this cutting-edge project,” said Manuel Laboy
secretary of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC by its Spanish acronym)
WSP USA Building is an international engineering firm with headquarters in New York City
while Marvel Architects is a local firm based in San Juan
The next phase of the project includes a pre-agreement between the selected developer and the Puerto Rico Land Authority to begin negotiations for the lease of the land where the development will take place
This phase also includes feasibility studies
development of the structural design of the park and the beginning of application for the corresponding permits
This process should be completed in the second quarter of 2022
planning the construction and OTEC systems would follow
the project must be in its final phase of searching for tenants and industries by 2027
the PROtech initiative would produce 500 kilowatts of energy through a collaboration with the private sector
The project has been in the works for more than three years and would follow the lead of similar initiatives in Hawaii and Japan in order to transform the island into a world-class example and center for sustainable ocean economy
the natural qualities of the zone -waters with temperatures of 36 degrees Fahrenheit and depths of 1,000 meters- make it a perfect match for the project since OTEC technology produces energy by harnessing the temperature differences between ocean surface waters and deep ocean waters
In addition to the ocean thermal energy conversion plant
the project hopes to launch emerging industries like algae farming
mariculture (the cultivation of fish and other marine life for food using seawater) and aquaculture (similar to mariculture
the project should generate some 10,000 jobs in an area with poverty rates that fluctuate between 45 percent and 56 percent – before the coronavirus pandemic hit Puerto Rico in March
“PROtech is a key project that will give space to multiple emerging sectors based on OTEC technology
which will make Puerto Rico one of the leading deep-water research and application centers in the world
We are confident in the development and success of this project whose master plan we develop based on feasibility studies of recognized entities such as Makai Ocean Engineering
Integra and Technical Consulting Group and together with other government agencies,” Laboy said
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