The Jamaica Public Service (JPS) is reporting extensive damage to key infrastructure across its power delivery network, following the passage of category 5 Hurricane Melissa.
Coming out of an aerial tour of the most severely hit parishes, JPS President and CEO Hugh Grant, indicates the magnitude of work for the power company:
He says the backbone of the electricity grid has suffered tremendous damage.
JPS says several high- voltage transmission facilities, including towers made of steel were destroyed by the extreme hurricane force winds that swept across the island.
Grant explains that although it is too early to grasp the full extent of the damage, from what has been seen so far, it will take a while to rebuild and restore power to all customers.
JPS, in a statement today, says while carrying out damage assessment, its teams are using the opportunity to do repairs in areas with less extensive damage and get power back to customers where it is safe to do so.
More than 50,000 customers across Kingston and St. Andrew, St. Thomas and St. Catherine have been restored, so far.
However, Mr. Grant warns that while power has been restored to some areas, the high voltage transmission backbone of the system that traverses some of the most severely damaged areas remains compromised.
The JPS President says the company is partnering with the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) to continue helicopter patrols of those facilities in order to have a better understanding of the scope of repairs that are required to restore those facilities and stabilize the grid.
He adds that teams are working non-stop twenty-four sevens to get the lights back on, while it is taking steps to get more overseas line workers to assist.
The company is also appealing to the public to stay away from downed power lines.
