Earthquakes Damage Power Plants in Puerto Rico

At least two earthquakes Tuesday morning extensively damaged the Costa Sur and EcoElectrica power plants in Puerto Rico, triggering a power outage affecting almost 900,000 people.

Located in Guayanilla near the epicenter of the earthquakes, the Costa Sur power plant could be out of service for up to a year, power officials said. In particular, tanks used to store water were overturned inside the plant.

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump declared that an emergency exists and ordered federal assistance to supplement local response efforts due to emergency conditions resulting from earthquakes beginning on Dec. 28.

The request for assistance submitted by Puerto Rico governor Wanda Vazquez came after the latest quake measured at magnitude 6.5 magnitude Tuesday.