BAD FORECAST

Puerto Rico’s Grid Will Likely Collapse Again, Officials Say

Despite an 8-month, $3.8 billion rehab effort, officials claim that the system is as vulnerable as ever.

As 2018’s hurricane season fast approaches, Puerto Rican officials are concerned that even a minor hurricane will plunge the country back into turmoil and leave citizens once again without power, reports the Associated Press. Repairs to the country’s electric grid have been haphazard post-Hurricane Maria, especially in rural areas, leading one anonymous power authority worker to claim that “a lot of the work is defective.” Hector Pesquera, Puerto Rico’s commissioner of public safety, concurred. “The grid is there, but the grid isn’t there. It’s teetering,” he said. “Even if it’s a (Category) 1, it is in such a state that I think we’re going to lose power. I don’t know for how long.” The 2018 Atlantic hurricane season begins this Friday, with experts predicting five to nine forthcoming hurricanes.