Hurricane Maria devastated the entire island of Puerto Rico and caused a major humanitarian crisis. As a high-end Category 4 storm, Maria was the strongest storm to impact the island in nearly 90 years, bringing a large storm surge and wind gusts well above 100 mph. It flattened neighborhoods and destroyed the island’s power grid, leaving all 3.4 million residents without electricity.

The territory’s government contracted a handful of companies up to the task of restoring power, and ARC American was the first contractor on-site and only contractor there for the first two months. ARC quickly mobilized and was the leading power restoration contractor in the most critical and challenging period.

Efforts to restore power were complex due to the remoteness of many residents, lack of materials, and an aging power infrastructure across the island, but due to ARC’s ability to access and provide a range of utility construction services needed immediately — aviation, distribution, transmission, project management, and more — after weeks of relentless and detailed work our skilled and resilient linemen were able to provide relief and restore power.