JPS says about 40% of customers still without power

The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) has reported that up to 8 o’clock last night it had restored power to more than 60 per cent of customers.

Work crews were said to be pushing to bring the figure to 75 per cent before the end of the night.

However, an updated assessment has not yet been provided.

But the company said despite the progress it was making, some customers could remain without power into the weekend.

The JPS projected that power would be restored to all customers in Westmoreland, Hanover and St Elizabeth by the end of last night.

And the company said more than 60 percent of customers in Trelawny would have electricity while over 75 percent of customers in St Catherine, Kingston and St Andrew, would have received their power supply.

But the company said given the extent of the damage, in St Ann, St Mary, St Thomas and Portland restoration work in those parishes was expected to extend into the weekend.

President and CEO of the JPS, Kelly Tomblin, notes that the storm made a direct hit to St Catherine and the Kingston Metropolitan Region, which account for more than half of the company’s entire customer base.

And she says access problems have been posing a challenge to the work teams.

The JPS says preliminary assessment has indicated that the Company suffered damage to nearly 200 poles, close to 240 spans of power lines, as well as other elements of the electricity infrastructure.

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