Puerto Rico Tornado Downs Trees, Power Lines

Massive winds battered Puerto Rico on Sunday, and it got so strong that a tornado formed over the US territory, causing some massive damage to the island's power lines.

According to The Hill, tornadoes are considered rare in Puerto Rico, though a massive one formed over Aguada Sunday afternoon. It only lasted for about four minutes. However, those short minutes resulted in massive damage.

Videos of the wind blowing off trees at a Puerto Rican road surfaced, and so did another video of a funnel cloud forming over a hilltop. One of these videos was captured by Janely Ivette, who was inside her car when she shot the video that showed large branches piling up on the road.

The storm that caused the tornado also reportedly damaged several houses and triggered a landslide. However, no injuries have so far been reported.

Puerto Rico Tornadoes Are Rare Occurrences

Tornadoes rarely hit the US territory, as only 24, including the one that hit the island last Sunday, have been recorded since 1950. Those that do not even cause damage because they are usually considered weak, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Emanuel Rodriguez Gonzalez, who recently spoke with the Associated Press.

However, a strong one did hit Puerto Rico in May 2022 in the northern coastal town of Arecibo. That tornado had winds between 86 mph to 110 mph and blew roofs off buildings and downed several trees and power lines.

Rodriguez stated that this latest Puerto Rico tornado may have reached that speed, though National Weather Service experts already arrived in the US territory last Monday to determine its classification.

The National Weather Service is still assessing the damage that the Sunday tornado has wrought in Aguada, with personnel now taking a closer look at the destruction this rare Puerto Rico tornado left behind.

Puerto Rico Still Facing Energy Woes

The tornado downing several power lines only adds to the US territory's current electricity crisis, which started when Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in 2017, crippling the island's grid.

Some areas on the island face sporadic power outages, even if the weather is just fine.

One resident, Marta Rojas, told NBC News, "We have to become fortune tellers to be able to cook or to do laundry before the power goes out."

Since Hurricane Maria devastated the island, Puerto Rico still has not permanently rebuilt its power grid, with many across the island angry at the frequent blackouts and brownouts all over. While this is happening, Puerto Rico's electric utility company faces bankruptcy while also trying to increase charges to residents. The latest proposed increase even resulted in massive protests across Puerto Rico.

The Puerto Rican government is still finding ways to remedy the island's electricity woes and is turning to renewable energy. However, only 4% of the island's power comes from renewables as the government races to its goal of achieving 100% renewable electricity by 2050.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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