SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Crews are working diligently to restore power across Puerto Rico following a widespread blackout that struck the island on Wednesday, affecting essential services, including the main international airport, several hospitals, and numerous hotels bustling with Easter vacationers.

The power outage, which began shortly after noon, left approximately 1.4 million customers in the dark and around 328,000 without access to water. By the end of the day, power had been restored to at least 175,000 customers, roughly 12% of those affected. Officials are optimistic, projecting that up to 90% of customers could have their electricity back within the next 48 to 72 hours.

Governor Jenniffer Gonzlez expressed her discontent with the situation, stating, This is a shame for the people of Puerto Rico that we have a problem of this magnitude. In response to the emergency, she cut short her weeklong vacation to return to the island on Wednesday evening to oversee recovery efforts.

The blackout led to significant disruptions across Puerto Rico, with traffic snarled as residents rushed to gas stations and convenience stores. Many businesses were forced to close, while those without generators scrambled to purchase essential items like ice and candles. Jos Luis Richardson, a local resident without a generator, voiced his frustration, asking, Why on holidays? as he attempted to keep cool by intermittently splashing water on himself.

This incident marks the second island-wide blackout in less than four months, with the previous outage occurring on New Years Eve. The persistent issues have sparked renewed calls from citizens for the government to reevaluate and potentially terminate its contracts with Luma Energy, which is responsible for the transmission and distribution of power, and Genera PR, the entity overseeing power generation.

Governor Gonzlez acknowledged these concerns, stating, That is not under doubt or question, but emphasized that addressing the issue is not an overnight fix. It is unacceptable that we have failures of this kind, she added.

The economic ramifications of such outages are substantial; Gonzlez noted that a major blackout leads to an estimated revenue loss of around $230 million per day. Ramn C. Barqun III, the president of the United Retail Center, a nonprofit that advocates for small and medium-sized enterprises, warned that continuous outages would deter potential investors at a time when Puerto Rico is in dire need of economic development.

In light of the circumstances, many residents expressed concern for the island's vulnerable populations, particularly the elderly. The mayor of Canvanas mobilized local brigades to check on homebound individuals and those relying on electronic medical equipment. Additionally, the mayor of Vega Alta established a center to provide backup power for residents dependent on lifesaving devices.

As for the cause of the blackout, details remain unclear. Daniel Hernndez, vice president of operations at Genera PR, stated that a disturbance impacted the transmission system shortly after noona critical time when the grid is particularly susceptible due to fewer machines regulating frequency. The blackout highlights ongoing struggles with the power grid, which has faced chronic issues since Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm in September 2017, obliterating the already fragile infrastructure.

The situation reflects a long-standing problem where decades of inadequate maintenance and investment have left Puerto Rico's energy system in a precarious state, leading to repeated blackouts and a significant challenge for recovery.