Strong winds cause power interruption
Iloilo City suffered from long hours of brownout over the weekend after several feeder lines of the Panay Electric Company Inc. (PECO) got affected by strong winds brought by typhoon Ondoy.
In a radio interview, Engr. Randy Pastolero, PECO vice president, attributed the power interruption to the intensity of the wind which affected their feeder lines. Fortunately, their facility incurred no major damage.
Strong winds and rains were experienced in Iloilo City over the weekend although there was no storm signal raised here. The City Disaster Coordinating Council had likewise monitored the water level in Jaro district since Friday afternoon.
Aside from the power failure, city residents had been alerted in case of flood. The continuous downpour flooded the low-lying areas in the city. It is a common occurrence in the city where streets and low-lying areas become flooded every time heavy rains occur.
Pastolero said they have immediately dispatched a team of trouble shooters to conduct repairs on their lines. He said they have to check all their lines before they could resume the power.
The brownouts happened 3 p.m. of Saturday after strong winds occurred causing the feeder lines to trip off. In some districts, PECO was able to resume electricity after two to three hours. However, there are portions of the city where the power resumed around 10 p.m.
On Sunday morning, another power failure occurred in some parts of the city. Power resumed around 10 in the morning.