Puerto Rico Morning Brief Tuesday, September 29, 2026

Tropical Storm Fay remained far from Puerto Rico on Tuesday, with the National Hurricane Center placing the storm 1,318 miles from San Juan, moving southwest at 13 mph with sustained winds of 40 mph.

Off Mona Island, a vessel capsized and 40 people were rescued alive while two bodies were recovered. The circumstances of the capsizing were not detailed, but the scale of the rescue — dozens pulled from the water — points to a vessel carrying a large number of passengers when it went down. Authorities have not indicated whether search efforts for additional victims are continuing.

In Bayamón, the Department of Family suspended the operating license of the Pasemisin Kids daycare center following the death of a baby in its care. The suspension cited non-compliances tied to supervision and staffing at the facility, meaning the center cannot legally operate until those issues are resolved. The action affects families who had enrolled children there and leaves the facility’s future uncertain.

The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority is suing NFEnergía LLC over the company’s failure to supply natural gas to the San Juan Power Plant. The cutoff has raised concerns about the cost of maintaining power generation at the plant, putting the dispute at the center of ongoing questions about the reliability and expense of the island’s energy supply. The lawsuit seeks to hold the supplier accountable for the interruption.

Construction is set to begin in Santurce on 222 apartments designated for low- and moderate-income seniors. The project will add housing aimed specifically at older residents with limited incomes. No completion timeline was given.

Hospital Menonita in Aibonito is preparing for a $51.8 million renovation and expansion. The investment will overhaul the facility’s infrastructure, though details on which departments or services will be affected during construction were not specified.

At El Escambrón, hundreds of residents formed a human chain to oppose a proposed parking garage megaproject. The plan would lease public land to a private company for 60 years, a term long enough to shape use of the coastal area for generations. The demonstration reflects organized opposition to handing over that land under a decades-long private lease, though no decision on the project’s fate was reported.

What remains unresolved includes the full toll and cause of the Mona Island capsizing, the path forward for families affected by the Bayamón daycare closure, and whether public pressure at El Escambrón will alter the terms or fate of the proposed parking project.