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BREAKING NEWS
Widespread damage from Typhoon Soudelor
The Commonwealth Utilities Corp. suffered widespread damage to Saipan’s power distribution system when Typhoon Soudelor made landfall Sunday evening.
The island currently remains without power, water and wastewater services as broken power poles and downed wires lay scattered across roads and buildings. Fallen trees and power poles blocking all major roadways are hampering recovery and assessment efforts.
In addition to the damage sustained by the power distribution system, damage was incurred by Saipan’s power generation facilities. While the extent of the damage to Power Plant One has yet to be determined, the power producing generators are currently inoperable.
The lack of power generation capability also affects CUC’s ability to deliver water service. Without electricity to power to the pumps, water cannot be pumped into the reservoirs. As no timetable for the complete restoration of essential services is available, customers should prepare for an extended power and water outage.
At first light, CUC will work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to perform an island-wide assessment to ascertain damage and plan recovery efforts. In the meantime, the public is cautioned to stay clear of fallen power lines. Even poles that remain standing may not be safe as the storm may have damaged or weakened the poles and the accessory assemblies.
The 24-Hour CUC Customer Call Center will be open for customer calls throughout recovery efforts. Representatives will forward information received from the calls to the field personnel responsible for addressing the issues.
In addition to the 24-Hour Customer Call Center, CUC will post the latest information on Facebook. Updates will include photos and videos of the storm and post-storm restoration efforts. To access the information, simply log in to your Facebook account and “Like” the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation page.
For more information, please visit our website www.cucgov.org or contact our 24-Hour Customer Call Center at 664-4CUC (664-4282).
