ANTIGUA-Utility company prioritizes restoration efforts following Tropical Jerry.

ST. JOHN, Antigua, CMC – The Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) says it is in the process of providing updates on water supply restoration and infrastructure recovery efforts, as the island recovers from the impact of Tropical Storm Jerry

According to Anazette Reynolds, Corporate Communications Manager at APUA, surface water reservoirs are experiencing significant replenishment from recent rainfall.

Reynolds cautioned that water distribution will not be immediate despite the showers. “We aren’t able to immediately distribute water,” she explained during a public briefing.

“The water will first need to undergo a treatment process in line with [World Health Organization] standards, and then we can begin distributing water.”

APUA has established clear priorities for power restoration efforts that directly impact water service recovery. Priority feeders include those serving critical facilities such as hospitals, the airport, water facilities, and St. John’s City.

Once electricity is restored to these facilities, water maintenance technicians must conduct comprehensive safety inspections before operations can resume.

These checks ensure no moisture has compromised high voltage panels or other critical equipment on site – a crucial step given the wet conditions following the storm.

Reynolds urged residents to exercise caution around electrical infrastructure. The public should always assume that any downed power lines are energized and report them immediately.

Meanwhile, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center says the system is “disheveled” and may not last much longer as a tropical cyclone.

In its latest update, the center of Tropical Storm Jerry was located near latitude 25.8 North, longitude 63.2 West. Jerry is moving toward the north at 16 mph, and this general motion is expected to continue on Saturday.

A turn toward the northeast is forecast on Sunday, followed by an eastward motion on Monday. Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph with higher gusts, and weakening is forecast during the next few days.

Meanwhile, swells generated by Jerry are affecting the Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Bahamas. These swells will likely cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.