Heavy rain and gusty winds are pounding Puerto Rico as Hurricane Fiona closes in on the island. Forecasters said the downpour could produce landslides and heavy flooding.
Anxiety ran high across the island with Fiona due just two days before the anniversary of Hurricane Maria, a devastating Category 4 storm that hit on Sept. 20, 2017, destroying the island's power grid and causing nearly 3,000 deaths.
Many Puerto Ricans also were concerned about blackouts. Luma, the company that operates power transmission and distribution, warned of "widespread service interruptions." As of Sunday morning more than 320,000 customers were without power. Rivera said his employees brought bedridden family members to the hotel, where he has stocked up on diesel, gasoline, food, water and ice, given how slowly the government responded after Hurricane Maria.
Puerto Rico's governor, Pedro Pierluisi, said he was ready to declare a state of emergency if needed and activated the National Guard as the Atlantic hurricane season's sixth named storm approached. Pierluisi announced Sunday that public schools and government agencies would remain closed on Monday.
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