Fallen trees, landslides, flooding and fatalities – Hurricane “Fiona” cut a path of devastation through the Caribbean. Experts predict it will get even stronger and will approach Bermuda on Thursday.
A house in Cayey, Puerto Rico, in the midst of the flooding caused by Hurricane Fiona. According to the authorities, three people were in the house. They were rescued over the weekend.
(dpa) After severe flooding in parts of the Caribbean, the storm “Fiona” as a hurricane of magnitude three also brought heavy rain to the Turks and Caicos Islands. The government of the British Overseas Territory called on the approximately 30,000 residents on Tuesday to stay at home. The hurricane had gained strength and passed the island chain with sustained wind speeds of up to 185 kilometers per hour. The American hurricane center predicted that “Fiona” would get even stronger and approach Bermuda on Thursday.
As a category one (of five) hurricane, “Fiona” made landfall in Puerto Rico on Sunday and caused serious damage – Governor Pedro Pierluisi even called the extent of the destruction “catastrophic”. According to him, at least two people died. According to the provider Luma, more than 1.1 million of the approximately 1.5 million connections in Puerto Rico were still without power on Tuesday after an island-wide power blackout.
In the Dominican Republic, where the hurricane hit land on Monday in the east near the popular tourist city of Punta Cana, at least one person died, as the newspaper “El Día” reported early Tuesday (local time). .
US President Biden pledges help
According to the media, American President Joe Biden spoke to Pierluisi on the phone during his return flight from the Queen’s funeral and spoke to him about help with the rescue and clean-up work in the American territory. The hurricane had raged on Puerto Rico over the weekend and caused, among other things, a complete power failure.
A man saves himself from the floods in Caguas on the shore.
In Puerto Rico, “Fiona” led to an island-wide power outage. “The power grid is currently out of order due to the effects of the hurricane,” wrote Governor Pierluisi on social networks. According to the electricity provider Luma Energy, it could take several days to restore power. Even before the storm, the power had repeatedly failed in Puerto Rico, which also led to demonstrations. Unreliable power supply has long been a problem in the Americas outside area.
At the mouth of the Rio Grande, the shore can hardly be seen after the hurricane.
Puerto Rico, an island of just over three million people, is often exposed to storms during hurricane season. Hurricane Maria in particular caused severe damage on the island in September 2017. Around 3000 people lost their lives. The Atlantic hurricane season lasts from June to November.
