Utility companies ready for future storms

As another weather system makes its way through the Atlantic, the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) said it "stands ready to respond" to any possible damage that any devastating hurricane may bring.

Following the passing of category 4 Hurricane Beryl on July 3, the JPS reported that 65 per cent of customers lost power. Three weeks later, JPS's media and communications manager Audrey Williams told THE STAR that less than four per cent of JPS customers are still without electricity. This accounts for approximately 27,680 customers, who are slated to have power by August 12. Some customers who are still without power showed their disapproval by blocking roads and other forms of protest. Despite not all customers having their electricity restored, Williams said that the JPS is fully prepared for any other potential disturbances this hurricane season.

"In terms of preparation for an approaching storm, we stand ready to respond. We are always enhancing our infrastructure," Williams said. "It is important to note that each hurricane is a unique creature. It may bring missiles in wind that impact lines, it may cause flooding and waterlogged soils which cannot support poles, it may cause landslides which take poles and other infrastructure. So we have to take it as it comes, but we are prepared to do what it takes to support our customers."

On Monday, the National Hurricane Center in Florida said that it was tracking a tropical disturbance that could become the next named storm. Head of Communications for Digicel Jamaica, Elon Parkinson, told THE STAR that following a preparedness drill, the company is equipped to handle any additional damage that may arise from another hurricane.

"Every year, ahead of the Atlantic hurricane season, we conduct a rigorous preparedness drill that involves running several scenarios in tandem with local disaster management agencies. This drill prepares us for the eventualities that may occur as we implement our network disaster planning and recovery plans ahead of an impending storm," Parkinson said.

Following the passing of Beryl, Digicel reported that more than 50 per cent of its cell sites were off air, and approximately 25 per cent of its cell sites were running on generator and battery power. However, Parkinson told THE STAR that hours after the hurricane, their servicemen acted to restore service.

"We're currently at 94.8 per cent population coverage for mobile, coming from a low of 41 per cent hours after Hurricane Beryl struck. Within days, we jumped to over 60 per cent coverage, making steady progress thereafter and holding steadily over 90 per cent since a week after the hurricane," Parkinson said. However, some customers are still without service and it could take months before full service is restored.

"Of our almost 900 sites, 12 were destroyed by Beryl and will need to be replaced over the coming months. In most cases, affected areas will have proximal coverage from faraway sites until we are able to restore their main site," Parkinson said.

"In other cases, we've deployed temporary sites to serve some hard-hit communities. We anticipate reaching moving from almost 95 per cent to 100 per cent population coverage over the next couple of months," he said.