International
Severe floods and widespread power outages in Puerto Rico due to Hurricane Ernesto
Puerto Rico suffered severe floods and widespread power outages this Wednesday due to the copious rains brought by tropical storm Ernesto, which became a category 1 hurricane when it passed to the north of the island.
The rainfall caused all the rivers on the island to be “close to or above their overflow level,” according to meteorologist Ernesto Morales, of the National Meteorological Service (SNM), said at a press conference.
The weather agency warned from the beginning of the day of sudden floods in most of Puerto Rico and predicted total accumulations of rain of between 6 and 10 inches (15 to 25 centimeters).
One of the most affected areas was the northern Toa Baja, at the mouth of the La Plata River, where the authorities had to evict several families because the water reached the homes of neighborhoods such as San José.
Inspector Robert Ramos Rosario, director of the Criminal Investigation Corps of the Bayamón area, explained to EFE that Highway 2 was closed for the safety of citizens due to the overflow of the river.
“Every time there is an atmospheric event this happens because the river comes from the mountainous area of Barranquitas, Comerío, Cayey and Naranjito, and flows here,” he lamented.
One of the people who could not cross was Arsenio Inocencio Frías, an employee of the Los Nevarez Cowboy, who tried to challenge police security and take a shorter stretch to attend to the 300 cows that he has to milk twice a day.
“I have to get there,” he told EFE Frías, who assured that in the area these floods “have happened quite a few times.”
The NHC stressed that tropical storm alerts are maintained for the British and American Virgin Islands, as well as for the Puerto Rican islands of Vieques and Culebra, according to the 11:00 local time bulletin (15.00 GMT).
At that time the tropical storm was about 280 kilometers (175 miles) northwest of San Juan (Puerto Rico) and about 1,340 kilometers (835 miles) south-southwest of Bermuda.
It is the third hurricane so far in the hurricane season in the Atlantic basin, which began on June 1, and has produced five tropical storms: Alberto, Beryl, Chris, Debby and Ernesto.
Of them, Beryl, Debby and Ernesto were strengthened until they reached hurricanes. Beryl even reached the highest category on the Saffir-Simpson scale, the five, causing destruction and death in the Caribbean and in the United States.
This hurricane season in the Atlantic is expected to be one of the most active and intense in decades because up to 25 storms and 13 hurricanes are expected to form.
Hundreds of people are in the shelters set up by the authorities of Puerto Rico, where there are blocked roads and some rivers are overflowing after the passage of Ernesto, who has become a hurricane.
According to data from the Department of the Family, at least 375 people have sought refuge in 72 shelters in different municipalities of the island.
The torrential rains and strong gusts of wind have caused damage to private homes, as well as the fall of trees and some light poles.
Dozens of roads in municipalities in the north, center and east of the island are obstructed by water, trees or landslides.
Some of the most affected areas have been the municipal islands of Vieques and Culebra, for which the National Hurricane Center (NHC) of the United States maintains tropical storm alerts.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden signed an emergency declaration to help Puerto Rico face the consequences of Hurricane Ernesto, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reported.
The agency pointed out in a statement that the presidential order authorizes it to coordinate response efforts in order to reduce the difficulties and suffering of the local population.
The objective, according to his note, is to provide adequate support to the 78 municipalities of that Commonwealth to “save lives, protect property, safety and public health and minimize or prevent the threat of a catastrophe.”
The Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Puerto Rico resumed air operations on Wednesday after the passage of the tropical storm Ernesto, already turned into a hurricane, which caused the cancellation of 145 flights.
About 80 flights were canceled on this day, in addition to the 65 suspended on Tuesday, according to the statement from Aerostar, the operating company of the airport.
The president of Aerostar, Jorge Hernández, reported that air operations were restarted after a process of inspection of the facilities.
International
Chile enters runoff campaign with Kast leading and Jara seeking a last-minute comeback
Chile’s presidential runoff campaign for the December 14 election kicked off this Sunday, with far-right candidate José Antonio Kast entering the race as the clear favorite in the polls, while left-wing contender Jeannette Jara faces an uphill scenario, hoping for a comeback that some experts describe as “a miracle.”
The final polls released in Chile—published before the mandatory blackout on survey dissemination—give Kast, an ultraconservative former lawmaker running for president for the third time, a lead of between 12 and 16 points. His opponent, the communist former minister in Gabriel Boric’s current administration, is weighed down not only by the government’s low approval ratings but also by a fragmented electorate.
Although Jeannette Jara received the most votes in the first round with 26.9%, her lack of alliances beyond the left makes it difficult for her to expand her support. Kast, who secured 23.9%, has already brought key figures on board: ultralibertarian Johannes Kaiser (13.9%) and traditional right-wing leader Evelyn Matthei (12.4%), both now backing his candidacy.
Analysts note that although Kast’s support base consolidates more than 50% of the electorate, it does not guarantee an automatic transfer of votes. Populist economist Franco Parisi, who placed third with 19.7%, emerges as the major wildcard. His party, the People’s Party (PDG), is set to decide this Sunday through an internal consultation whether to endorse one of the two finalists.
International
Trump says asylum decision freeze will remain in place “for a long time”
U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Sunday that the suspension of decisions on asylum applications—implemented as part of his order to “halt” immigration from third-world countries following Wednesday’s shooting in Washington—will remain in effect “for a long time.”
The president declined to specify how long the freeze, imposed last Friday by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), would last. The suspension affects individuals waiting for an asylum ruling from that agency, though it does not apply to cases handled by U.S. immigration courts.
The delay is part of a series of measures enacted by the Trump Administration after a shooting on Wednesday in which an Afghan national allegedly opened fire on the National Guard in Washington, D.C., killing one officer and leaving another in critical condition.
Trump has ordered a permanent halt to immigration from 19 countries classified as “third-world.” He also indicated on Sunday that “possibly” more nations could be added to the list.
“These are countries with high crime rates. They are countries that do not function well… that are not known for success, and frankly, we don’t need people from those places coming into our country and telling us what to do,” Trump said, adding: “We don’t want those people.”
USCIS had already announced on Thursday a “rigorous review” of green cards held by migrants from 19 “countries of concern,” including Afghanistan, Cuba, Venezuela, and Haiti.
International
Sri Lanka and Indonesia deploy military as deadly asian floods kill over 1,000
Sri Lanka and Indonesia deployed military personnel on Monday to assist victims of the devastating floods that have killed more than a thousand people across Asia in recent days.
A series of weather events last week triggered prolonged torrential rains across Sri Lanka, parts of Indonesia’s Sumatra island, southern Thailand, and northern Malaysia. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said Monday in North Sumatra that “the priority now is to deliver the necessary aid as quickly as possible.”
“There are several isolated villages that, with God’s help, we will be able to reach,” he added. Subianto also stated that the government had deployed helicopters and aircraft to support relief operations.
Floods and landslides have claimed 502 lives in Indonesia, with a similar number still missing.
This marks the highest death toll from a natural disaster in Indonesia since 2018, when an earthquake and subsequent tsunami killed more than 2,000 people.
The government has sent three military ships carrying aid and two hospital vessels to the hardest-hit regions, where many roads remain impassable.
In the village of Sungai Nyalo, located about 100 kilometers from Padang, the capital of West Sumatra, floodwaters had receded by Sunday, leaving homes, vehicles, and crops coated in thick mud.
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