LUMA continues to prepare for weather-related power outages ahead of Tropical Storm Ernesto and encourages customers to take proactive safety measures

San Juan, Puerto Rico, Aug. 13, 2024 – On Monday, a Tropical Storm warning was issued for Puerto Rico, reinforcing the need for LUMA’s activated emergency operations posture. Throughout the day, LUMA has and will continue to prioritize emergency preparations, including ongoing coordination with local and federal partners and taking proactive measures to prepare for storm-related power outages ahead of expected impacts from Tropical Storm Ernesto. The National Weather Service forecast continues to indicate potential heavy rains, strong winds, flash flooding and mudslides across Puerto Rico from Tropical Storm Ernesto, starting Tuesday evening and into Wednesday.

“Our dedicated LUMA team remains singularly focused on our emergency preparation efforts to ensure we can respond as quickly and safely as possible to storm-related impacts. Yesterday, we activated our Emergency Operations Center and mobilized and staged our field resources across Puerto Rico. We will continue to coordinate with and provide critical updates to our local and federal partners to ensure a united and efficient storm response effort. Storm-related outages are expected from Tropical Storm Ernesto, and we continue to urge all our customers and their families to take immediate actions, including preparing emergency supplies. The safety of our crews and our customers will continue to be our highest priority,” said Juan Saca, LUMA President and CEO.

LUMA’s Monday Preparation Efforts

In preparation for Tropical Storm Ernesto, LUMA has taken multiple actions since Monday, including:

• Activating the LUMA Emergency Operations Center and instituting an Incident Command Structure in alignment with LUMA’s Emergency Management Plan.
• Activating all of LUMA’s Regional Operations Command Centers located across the island.
• Mobilizing over 1,100 utility workers including line workers, substation, vegetation management, low voltage and aviation crews who are trained and available to respond, as well as coordinating the potential support on island and additional 200 off-island utility workers if needed.
• Coordinating with local and federal partners, including the Puerto Rico Emergency Management Bureau (PREMB), the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA), GeneraPR, FEMA, the U.S. Department of Energy Support Function #12 and other government agencies to ensure a unified response effort.
• Scheduling meetings with mayors of all 78 municipalities to inform them of LUMA’s preparation efforts and response plan for their communities.
• Activating LUMA’s damage assessment plan to ensure a coordinated analysis of post-storm damage to support a quick and safe outage response effort.
• Deploying vegetation management crews to Culebra and Vieques to prepare response efforts for the two communities.
• Engaging meteorologists through a collaboration with theNational Weather Service in San Juanto monitor Tropical Storm Ernesto’s path, plan for potential flooding and prepare contingency plans.

LUMA Continues to Urge Customers to Prepare for Weather-Related Outages

Ahead of Tuesday evening’s potential storm impacts, LUMA continues to emphasize the need for all customers to act now to prepare for possible prolonged storm-related outages. 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. LUMA teams are actively contacting customers with life preserving equipment to make sure they are arranging on-site backup capabilities or other alternatives in the event of loss of electric service.

LUMA’s Customer Information Resources

To ensure customers receive critical updates on LUMA’s response and restoration efforts, customers should verify their contact information through the Mi LUMA mobile or website apps. Additional information will also be available through official sources including news media, local radio, and the following LUMA customer resources: 

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

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.