LUMA encourages customers to take proactive steps to prepare for weather-related power outages  

San Juan, Puerto Rico, Aug. 12, 2024 – Today, LUMA announced the mobilization of its Emergency Operations Center and is taking proactive action as part of its overall preparations to respond to possible impacts from Potential Tropical Cyclone Five. According to the National Weather Service, the current forecast indicates heavy rains, strong winds and flash flooding across the island starting Tuesday night and into Wednesday. As part of its emergency response planning, LUMA is mobilizing its field crews to respond and is strongly encouraging customers to prepare for storm-related power outages. 

“We have activated our Emergency Operations Center, mobilized our field resources and are coordinating with our local and federal partners to be ready to respond to the impacts of this major storm. It is important to remember that with any major storm, storm-related outages are to be expected. Our focus will be to assess the damage when the storm passes, and to restore power as quickly and safely as possible. We urge all our customers and their families to take steps now to prepare for the possibility of prolonged outages, and most importantly, to avoid downed powerlines and electrical equipment. Especially in times like these, safety must be our most important priority,” said Juan Saca, LUMA President and CEO. 

LUMA’s Emergency Response Planning and Resources  

LUMA has taken several key actions to help prepare for and respond to hurricanes and strong storms in accordance with its Emergency Response Plan (ERP). Among the actions include: 

• Conducting two mock emergency exercises to practice response coordination with Puerto Rico and federal government agencies. 
• Completing 44,000-plus hours of FEMA training on emergency management best practices. 
• Preparing to mobilize the more than 4,000 men and women of LUMA, including more than 1,100 field workers and 2,800 vehicles.  
• Acquiring more than $255 million in on-hand transmission and distribution materials for storm response. 
• Maintaining regular outreach to hospitals and critical facilities to ensure they have available backup generation and plans, as well as outlining efforts to contact Lifeline Residential Customers directly during emergencies. 
• Coordinating with LUMA’s mutual aid partners, including LUMA’s parent companies, Quanta Services and ATCO, as well as its pre-established emergency aid contractors both within and outside of Puerto Rico, to deploy additional utility field workers and resources to assist and support restoration efforts, as needed. 
• Utilizing a responsive notification systemwith SMS text alerts to provide customers with restoration updates on reported service interruptions. 

LUMA Urges Customers to Prepare for Outages  

As part of its effort to keep the public safe, LUMA will be actively communicating across all available channels the need for customers to prepare for potential storm impacts, including the possibility of prolonged power outages, based on the impact of the storm on the electrical system. Among the urgent steps customers can take now to prepare include: developing an emergency plan, preparing an emergency kit of essential supplies, such as non-perishable food, water, flashlights, batteries, a first aid kit, any necessary medications, a battery-powered radio and a portable charger for mobile devices, and monitoring weather updates. In addition, LUMA is reminding customers who depend on electricity for life-sustaining equipment to make arrangements for on-site backup capabilities or other alternatives in the event of loss of electric service.  

Keeping Customers Up to Date: Information Resources 

Throughout its emergency activation, LUMA is reminding customers to ensure their contact information is up-to-date, and to remember that LUMA will provide critical updates on its response and restoration efforts through the news media, local radio, and the following LUMA customer resources:  

• LUMA website: lumapr.com  
• Twitter: twitter.com/lumaenergypr  
• Facebook: facebook.com/lumapuertorico  
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lumapuertorico/  
• LUMA Outage Map: https://miluma.lumapr.com/outages/outageMap  
• Mi LUMA App   

As a reminder, national or local news media requests must be sent to [email protected]. 

Urgent Public Safety Message: LUMA urges the public to put their safety first. Call LUMA immediately at 1-844-888-5862 (LUMA) to report any downed lines or electrical emergencies that require immediate attention. Remember to stay away from any low-hanging or downed power lines.  

About LUMA  

LUMA is a Puerto Rican company that, since June 1, 2021, operates and manages the electric power transmission and distribution system in Puerto Rico. LUMA is a company driven by a mission to transform the electrical transmission and distribution system to provide all Puerto Ricans with the reliable, resilient, clean, and affordable electrical service they deserve. As a customer-centric company, LUMA’s entire workforce is focused on safely delivering an exceptional customer service experience to its 1.5 million customers.