Calamities affected voters’ opinions

Voter turnout of nearly 70 percent in Puerto Rico may decline as fatigue and mass disillusionment continue to fuel the anger of Puerto Ricans over its government’s response to recent calamities.

A 4.8 magnitude earthquake just struck the U.S. territory in the Caribbean yesterday, which is still reeling from the a string of recent strong earthquakes that began in late December and the destruction of hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017.

Puerto Rico is also facing its 13th year of a recession, a bankruptcy, and power outages. All of these on top of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the World Health Organisation, Puerto Rico has 20,686 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 265 death since its first case on March 14.

The primaries come at a critical time. “We’re at a crossroads. … The people are suffering,” political analyst Domingo Emanuelli said in an interview with the Associated Press.

Primary elections of “firsts”

For the first time in its 82-year history, the main opposition Popular Democratic Party that staunchly supports Puerto Rico’s current political status as a U.S. territory is holding a primary.

Three candidates are running for a gubernatorial nomination: Puerto Rico Sen. Eduardo Bhatia; San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz, who engaged in public spats with U.S. President Donald Trump following the devastation of Hurricane Maria; and Isabela Mayor Carlos Delgado.

A tight governor’s race in the Popular Democratic Party is expected according to Emanuelli. Puerto Rico’s troubles highlight what many people see as a “disparity in Washington’s treatment” of the Caribbean island.

Meanwhile, pro-statehood New Progressive Party’s Gov. Wanda Vázquez is seeking the party’s nomination in a Sunday contest with seasoned politician Pedro Pierluisi, who represented Puerto Rico in Congress from 2009 to 2017.

Two candidates both served as replacement governors in the wake of a Puerto Rican political crisis.

Emanuelli expects voters choosing between Pierluisi and Vázquez will pick the candidate they think has the best chance of securing statehood for Puerto Rico.

The post Puerto Rico’s voter turnout for primaries might dip—analyst appeared first on Caribbean News Now!.

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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted that the rest of the hurricane season to be “extremely active”.

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center said there could be up to 25 storms which have sustained winds of 39mph or greater.

“This year, we expect more, stronger, and longer-lived storms than average. We’ve never forecast up to 25 storms,so this is the first time,” said Gerry Bell, lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at the Climate Prediction Center.

The previous high was in 2005, when the agency predicted a maximum of 21 named storms.

Bell added that the combined intensity and duration of all storms during the season is predicted to be much higher than the threshold for an “extremely active” season.

Of the 25 possible named storms, NOAA estimates seven to eleven could become hurricanes, which have winds of at least 74mph. The agency also forecast that three to six storms could become major hurricanes (Cat 3+), with winds of 111mph or more.

NOAA’s *Updated* 2020 Atlantic #HurricaneSeason Outlook now calls for: 19-25 named storms, of which 7-11 could become hurricanes, including 3-6 major hurricanes.

Graphics at https://t.co/mJuHVNZbnG @NWS @NWSCPC #HurricaneOutlook #ItOnlyTakesOne pic.twitter.com/GUNX3vany8

— NOAA (@NOAA) August 6, 2020

However, NOAA cautions that their hurricane season outlook is for overall seasonal activity and is not a landfall forecast.

“Landfalls are largely determined by short-term weather patterns, which are only predictable within about a week of a storm potentially reaching a coastline,” the organization added.

In a normal year, there are usually two storms on average by early August. But, so far, the season has been off to a rapid pace, with a record-setting nine named storms already.

The last system, Hurricane Isaias, marked the fifth storm to make landfall this season, about two weeks ahead of record pace.

Colorado State University, which also consistently makes hurricane predictions and forecasts, also issued an update to its 2020 forecast.

Seasonal forecast from @ColoradoStateU increased & now calls for extremely active 2020 Atlantic #hurricane season: 24 named storms (including 9 that have already formed), 12 hurricanes (including 2 that have already formed) & 5 major (Cat 3+) hurricanes:https://t.co/wL1t2D2mgx pic.twitter.com/DfZgG3CAyC

— Philip Klotzbach (@philklotzbach) August 5, 2020

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