Electricity restored to 150,000 customers, more to come by Sunday – JPS

The Jamaica Public Service (JPS) is reporting that as of 2:00 p.m. today electricity has been restored to 150,000 customers across several parishes.

President & CEO Hugh Grant says restoration work has advanced significantly in Kingston and St Andrew, St Catherine, and St Thomas.

Grant says teams are on the ground continuing damage assessments in these parishes to restore all customers; however, there are some areas that are currently impassable.

JPS says that by midnight on Sunday, November 2, the projection is to have 90% of Kingston & St Andrew restored, 90% of Portmore, 85% of the wider St Catherine, and 95% of St Thomas.

The company also says that electricity restoration has commenced in central Jamaica, with sections of Clarendon already restored.

“Our teams have been working non-stop to get as many customers reconnected in the shortest possible time,” Grant said.

“We continue to make headway, with customers in sections of Clarendon now with power. In addition, we are currently working in Manchester to restore customers, with eyes focused on getting power to Mandeville Regional Hospital,” he added.

“There’s still a lot more to do, but we won’t stop until the job is done.”

JPS again shared that the hurricane caused extensive damage to its high-voltage transmission lines, the backbone of its network system, along with essential distribution lines islandwide, particularly in the central and western regions.

The company says crews, including overseas line-workers, have begun rebuilding sections of the power grid network, including repairs to key transmission lines.

Regarding hospitals and essential services, JPS says power has been restored to 13 of the 21 major hospitals.

Back with power are Kingston Public Hospital, Victoria Jubilee Hospital, Princess Margaret Hospital, Bustamante Hospital for Children, University Hospital of the West Indies, May Pen Hospital, Morant Bay Hospital, Spanish Town Hospital, National Chest Hospital, Linstead Hospital, Bellevue Hospital, and St Joseph’s Hospital.

JPS has also indicated that it is providing power to 92 National Water Commission (NWC) pumps, which is 37% of its critical facilities.

These pumps are located in St Thomas, Kingston, St Andrew, St Catherine, and Clarendon.

The power company says it is also partnering with the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information to facilitate the restoration of schools.

“It is important for us to acknowledge that this is an unprecedented disaster. Jamaica, and in fact the Caribbean, has never experienced a weather system of this magnitude,” Grant pointed out.

“This hurricane is one of the most powerful on record, so we ask for your continued patience as our teams, supported by overseas crews, work tirelessly to restore power safely and as quickly as possible.”

Currently, just under 58% of customers remain without power, down from 77% immediately after hurricane conditions subsided.

The company continues to appeal to the public to prioritise their safety by avoiding downed wires and poles.

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