Residents on Eleuthera spent more than 20 hours without electricity, leading to widespread frustration and calls for urgent infrastructure upgrades.
On Tuesday, Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) said that a generator went offline and that multiple power lines were down, which resulted in several outages throughout Governor’s Harbour, Current, Rainbow Bay, German Village, and Lords Byron.
Several residents told The Nassau Guardian yesterday that up to 5 p.m. their power remained off.
Aldred Albury said that he and his family had to go for a drive to cool off.
“Last night, shortly after 8 p.m., we experienced a power outage, which lasted for about three to four hours,” he told The Nassau Guardian.
“However, even when power was restored, it has been off and on with surges and brown outs all last night and today. As yesterday was one of, if not, the hottest days on record for the year, my family and I went driving in the car in the AC, as we have two small children to keep cool.
“I pray that BPL gets it together soon, but as a young Bahamian who lived on Eleuthera all my life, I would dare say this is the worst I have ever seen it. When it isn’t generation challenges, it is transmission and distribution challenges.
“The whole grid needs to be upgraded and overhauled.”
Many residents said that they gave one another support through a WhatsApp group.
Heather Carey said yesterday that although BPL released multiple updates, it did not turn the power on.
“So, I am Governor’s Harbor based, and we are approaching 21 hours without power,” she told The Nassau Guardian.
“And it’s been for a good chunk of the island, the power outage. As you know, we all communicate through a WhatsApp chat, so we’re able to know who’s on and who’s off.”
“[We] have reached out multiple times on social media, tagging the minister under whom the power outages for BPL falls, JoBeth, as well as the MPs for the island, Clay Sweeting, [and] Sylvanus Petty, asking them to speak to this, to address it. There have been just crickets.
“We get periodic updates from BPL that have been up until now fairly vague — just always the usual, having issues working on challenges and unable to provide timelines. We received at two o’clock, finally, a timeline that indicated they had done the repairs, and they were going to turn us all on in phases.
“They did indicate that Rainbow Bay was on, then the Governor’s Harbor airport. The most recent update a few minutes ago indicated apparently that Governor’s Harbor is on, and they were moving to the next settlement, but nowhere in Governors is on. So, we’re challenging that at the moment.”
When asked how the outages impacted her and other residents, Carey said that it’s a “financial burden”.
“So, with almost 21 hours, that means anyone has to throw pretty much anything in their fridge out,” she said.
“For some people, that’s substantial, especially for those who are on hourly near minimum wage. And we’re in the quiet season. So, this is a huge financial burden for people.
“I personally, I am very heat intolerant, so I’m not enjoying this. I have stocked up and invested in lots of rechargeable fans and lights so that I can keep those things on in my house and not sit in the dark and I can have some sort of air moving. But it’s miserable.
“I have not slept all night. But for me, what’s more upsetting is seeing how many of the residents are sleeping in their cars in order to have some sort of reprieve from the heat.”
She added, “And I think what people overlook the most is the psychological and emotional trauma that is connected to this.”
Another resident, Fernander, told The Nassau Guardian that the constant outages are compounded with high utility bills.
“Summer months are approaching, and what that would mean for the demand of electricity, you would think that BPL would have gotten it together over the years, but this is not the case,” she said.
“Currently, light has been off from about 8:30 p.m. last night ‘til present. Updates are saying trip in power supply, and another saying a neutral line is down. However, from last night until now light has not been stabilized.
“Every hour the light has been cutting off and cutting back on, major surges that affect appliances for which we are not reimbursed. Another effect of the surge is that sometimes parts of the house is on while the other is off.
“For example, last night my kitchen was off, my front room lights were dim, but my bedroom had full electricity. What’s mind blowing about it all is the fact that the monthly bills do not match with the amount of service provided.”
Although a major concern remains the health of residents, some expressed concerns for their pets.
Sally told The Nassau Guardian yesterday that it’s hard to ensure that animals do not overheat.
“Seventeen hours without power may sound like an inconvenience on paper, but living through it in almost unbearable heat is something entirely different,” she said.
“For older people, the heat becomes exhausting and relentless. There is no relief, no cool place to escape to, and sleep becomes almost impossible. Phones lose charge, communication becomes difficult, water systems can be affected, and simple daily tasks become a challenge.
“What many people don’t think about are the pets. Throughout the outage, we worried constantly about keeping them cool and hydrated. Animals can overheat very quickly in these conditions, and caring for them became a full-time concern.
“We know there were also families with young children, elderly residents living alone, and people with health conditions trying to cope in the same oppressive heat.
“This was not a minor inconvenience. It was a difficult and stressful ordeal for many people in our community. Reliable electricity is not a luxury; it is an essential service that people depend on for their health, safety, and well-being.”
BPL issued a statement on its Facebook page around 10 a.m. yesterday, where it advised residents to make utility payments at its Pay Station in Governor’s Harbour, Sun Cash, Cash N’ Go or various banking platforms.
