United States: Curfew in Puerto Rico October 31

Event

An overnight curfew will be in effect in Puerto Rico from 20:00 on Tuesday, October 31, until 05:00 on Wednesday, November 1 (local time). The curfew is intended to prevent residents from celebrating Halloween due to safety and security issues stemming from ongoing massive power outages caused by Hurricane Maria.

The island had been under a permanent overnight curfew since the storm hit in September. It was lifted on October 18, in large part to allow residents to watch the World Series baseball tournament. Violations of the curfew are possible on Tuesday as it coincides with a World Series game, potentially leading to confrontations between fans and police. 

Context

Puerto Rico’s power grid was devastated by Hurricane Maria when it struck the territory on September 20. Only 30 percent of households and business have electricity as of late October, with the majority of the country running on generators amid fuel shortages. The mass outage, along with other issues, has brought Puerto Rico’s economy to a near standstill.

Advice

Individuals present in Puerto Rico are advised to respect the curfew as well as any other official directives.