LUMA PREPARES FOR TROPICAL STORM FRANKLIN,
READIES RESOURCES AND PERSONNEL
LUMA has partially activated its Emergency Operations Center in preparation for storm impacts
San Juan, Puerto Rico, August 21, 2023 – In response to potential impacts from Tropical Storm Franklin, LUMA has initiated its emergency response plan, including readying resources and personnel and the partial activation of its LUMA Emergency Operations Center (LEOC) to manage operations, before, during and in response to the storm. As of 11:00am today, the National Hurricane Center forecast shows that Tropical Storm Franklin is moving across the Caribbean and while it will not directly impact Puerto Rico, it will result in heavy rainfall throughout the island. As part of its emergency response planning, LUMA encourages customers to prepare for potential storm impacts and possible power outages.
“Staying prepared for emergency events is a daily, year-round priority for the more than 4,000 men and women of LUMA. In accordance with our emergency response plan, LUMA is working closely with the Puerto Rico Emergency Management Bureau and other relevant authorities to ensure a coordinated response, while also mobilizing and positioning crews and equipment throughout the island to respond to power outages resulting from the storm conditions. Safety is our number one priority, we will do everything we can to support our customers across Puerto Rico,” said LUMA President and Chief Executive Officer, Juan Saca.
LUMA is Prepared to Respond to Tropical Storm Franklin
LUMA continuously trains and prepares for emergencies. Available resources and preparations include:
- 4,000+ employees engaged to support LUMA customers throughout the event,
- 1,400+ field workers, from line workers to substation technicians, who are trained and available to respond to emergencies,
- 1,800+ fleet units fueled and ready to deploy for emergency response,
- More than $190 million worth of on-hand inventory of transmission and distribution materials to quickly make repairs,
- Over 39,000+ hours of FEMA emergency training completed by LUMA team members,
- 3,300+ miles of lines cleared of vegetation to reduce hazards and increase reliability,
- 8,900+ utility poles replaced to withstand 160 mph winds, and
- Direct coordination with the Puerto Rico Emergency Management Bureau (PREMB), Genera, FEMA, the U.S. Department of Energy Support, and other government agencies, as needed, to coordinate a unified response.
LUMA has also increased its number of emergency contracts, is coordinating with mutual aid partners to support overall response efforts when necessary and has been in regular communication with critical facilities, like hospitals, to ensure they are ready for emergencies.
Urgent 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.
Report an outage: If you are currently experiencing an outage, report it using the My LUMA website available at miluma.lumapr.com.
Information Resources
LUMA communicates event information to customers frequently through the news media and the following resources:
- LUMA website: lumapr.com
- Twitter: twitter.com/lumaenergypr
- Facebook: facebook.com/lumapuertorico
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lumapuertorico/
- LUMA Outage Map: miluma.lumapr.com/outages/outageMap
- MiLUMA App
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, cleaner and affordable electrical grid they deserve. As a customer-centric company, LUMA’s entire workforce of more than 4,000 employees is focused on safely delivering an exceptional customer service experience to its 1.5 million customers.
