As Hurricane Ernesto swept through the Caribbean, prayers were being said and power grid repairs were being made in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Ernesto hit Puerto Rico as a tropical storm late on August 13 and strengthened into a hurricane the next day while on its way to Bermuda. Winds in excess of 70 mph lashed the island, dropping up to 9 inches of rain in some places.
Archbishop Roberto O. Gonzalez of San Juan, Puerto Rico, posted a message on the archdiocese’s Facebook page on August 13 recommending the temporary suspension of liturgies and parish events for that day and the following day.
He assured his faithful that they can “count on the Caritas groups of their parish in case of emergencies and necessary assistance after the storm has passed in their respective communities.”
According to energy company LUMA, which oversees Puerto Rico’s power transmission and distribution system, about 700,000 homes were without power following the storm as of August 15.
The island’s energy network is still fragile after numerous natural disasters in recent years.
In September 2017, Hurricane Maria caused the country’s longest power outage, leaving “nearly the entire island … in darkness,” according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Some households were not reconnected to power until nearly a year later, and thousands died in the months following the storm as basic services and infrastructure were disrupted.
The damage was exacerbated by a series of earthquakes and aftershocks that began in late December 2019 and continued into 2020. On January 7, 2020, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck southwestern Puerto Rico.
About 160 kilometers southeast of Puerto Rico, the faithful of the Diocese of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands breathed a sigh of relief because they had largely been spared serious damage from the storm.
“Thank God Tropical Storm Ernesto did not have a major impact on us,” the diocese wrote on its Facebook page on August 14.
Before Ernesto, the diocese had republished a “hurricane prayer” used in July on its Facebook page.
“Protect us from all harm, drawing us ever closer to You as we trustingly seek Your protection from the destructive power of all the storms that frighten us,” the prayer says. “Let every hurricane or natural disaster serve only to blow us ever more safely into Your loving, merciful embrace.”
In a Facebook post on August 14 announcing the Feast of the Assumption, the diocese reiterated the need for continued prayer.
“As we live through hurricane season, let us come together in prayer and ask Mary for protection and guidance during this difficult time,” the diocese said. “Let us be united in faith and ask for Mary’s intercession as we navigate the uncertainties of the upcoming hurricane season.”
