JPS says Friday’s squall line affected power to about 10,000 customers | News

According to the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS), the squall line that swept across the island on Friday night has affected several parts of the electricity grid, affecting some 10,000 customers.

The squall line, consisting of a group of storms that form a line and cause short periods of strong wind and rain, moved from the east of the island to the western parishes on Friday evening.

JPS said in a press release on Sunday that its teams were on site almost immediately to resolve power outages in some parishes and that work to get affected customers back on track continued Saturday.

“Our information indicates that squall lines, which can be quite destructive, have affected some of our infrastructure. While we do not have a full picture of the extent of the damage, we do know that approximately 10,000 customers have been affected – located in parts of Kingston & St Andrew, St Catherine, Clarendon, St Ann and St Elizabeth parishes,” said Blaine Jarrett, Senior Vice President of Energy Delivery at JPS.

He noted that the company had restored power to about half of that number of customers as of Saturday evening and is still working to restore power to the remaining customers and those affected by Hurricane Beryl.

“It can be incredibly frustrating for all of our customers who are without power, but rest assured – restoring your service is our top priority. We are doing everything we can to get you back on the road. You can count on that,” he said.

Meanwhile, the JPS has indicated that some customers may experience delays in response times, due to the much higher than normal volume of calls and queries.

“However, the company assures that its teams are working tirelessly to resolve the various issues, but at the same time appeals for patience,” the company said.

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