Puerto Rico in blackout after Hurricane Fiona strikes, residents could be without power for ‘several days’

Puerto Rico is experiencing a complete power blackout as a result of Hurricane Fiona, which continues to strengthen and is hitting the island with maximum winds of up to 85 mph.

The entire island is without power because of “transmission grid failures caused by Hurricane Fiona,” according to power outage tracking website poweroutage.us.

According to the website, the outage is impacting 1,468,223 customers in Puerto Rico because of the Category 1 hurricane.

In a message posted to social media, LUMA Puerto Rico, the island’s energy provider, said that its electrical system has experienced “several transmission line outages” which have “contributed to an island-wide blackout.”

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The power company said that conditions are still “extremely dangerous” and are “hindering our ability to fully assess the situation.”

LUMA Puerto Rico also said that complete restoration of power throughout the island could take “several days.”

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The hurricane is nearing the southwestern coast of the island, and is expected to cause “catastrophic flooding” across Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Ponce, Puerto Rico, recorded a wind gust of 103 mph on Sunday, according to Fox Weather.

The entire island of Puerto Rico and portions of the Dominican Republic are under a Hurricane Warning.