JPS says full power restoration will take several more days

The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) says it will take several more days to get power to customers who are still without electricity following the passage of Hurricane Sandy.

The JPS says the customers are mostly in Portland, St Thomas, St Mary and St Andrew – the parishes most badly affected by the hurricane.

“We have just under 60,000 customers who are still without power this afternoon,” says Kelly Tomblin, JPS President & CEO.

“We are gradually bringing these customers back onto the grid, but it will take a few more days. The fact is, we are in the most difficult phase of the restoration process. We are redeploying resources to the communities where damage is greatest, and progress is slow because it is difficult working in the post-hurricane conditions,” she said.

Tomblin added that the JPS is also focusing on getting power to the multiple pockets of customers who are without service although the main power lines in their communities have already been energized.

Delays in Kingston & St Andrew
The JPS says although power has now been restored to most of the corporate area, about 12,000 customers in Kingston and St Andrew are still without electricity.

It says several of these customers are in areas where the main power lines have already been energised.

“Our standard procedure is to get power to the main lines first, and then deal with the smaller lines,” Tomblin said.


Other eastern parishes
The JPS says despite extensive damage to its infrastructure and access challenges in the parishes of Portland and St Mary, it is making headway in restoring power to customers in these two parishes.

WHERE THE JPS IS WORKING TODAY

Kingston & St Andrew
Rockhall, Swain Spring, sections of Stony Hill, Diamond Road, Hermitage, Sherbourne Heights, Sections of Gordon Town to Mavis Bank, Enfield, Upper and Lower Content Gap, sections of Newcastle, sections of Pembroke Hall, sections of Red Hills, Skyline Drive to Mountain Spring

St Ann
Nine Miles, Chester NWC pump (affected by downed poles), tidixon, Grier Park, Dunn’s River, Mystic Mountain, Eltham, Cutlass Bay, Hermosa, Old Buckfield

St Mary
Sections of Sandside Land Settlements, Cox Street, Sections of Cambridge, Liberton, Sections of Brimmervale, Free Hill, Albion Mtn, Bottom Farquharson Lane, Oxford, Coloraine Pumping Station, Cane Lane, St Mary Banana Main Office, Guys Hill, Lime Hall, Roxville Mews, St. Kencars Cresent, Sections of Hartland, Benbow

Clarendon
Effort, Mitchelle Hill, Morgan Road, Trout Hall Pass, Alston, Mt Hymus

St Thomas
Easington, Trinityville, White Horses, Belvedere, Lloyds

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