It was just a few days ago that a federal judge ordered to extend shelter assistance to 1,700 people in Puerto Rico.
The ravaged island continues to struggle after the effects of Hurricane Maria last September. Since that time, crews from both APS and SRP have taken action by going to Puerto Rico themselves to help restore power.
SRP is telling ABC15 how the lessons they learned in that region can actually help them going into our monsoon.
Crews learned new ideas that they can implement to make their teams even more efficient when Mother Nature pours down and brings major problems to the Valley.
One of them, the idea to create an Incident Command Team.
That is not something SRP has used before during a monsoon, but it was something they utilized in Puerto Rico. That helps create a more organized approach with a chain of command and communication with other agencies to work efficiently.
The trips also gave them a better understanding of what they are doing well.
"After seeing a system that doesn't have the type of maintenance program that we do...it's...you know, basically seeing how it pays off for us in the long-run," SRP Section Supervisor Matt Peek said.
There is also a stronger appreciation for our area, as well. Puerto Rico is an island with rolling hills to hike and lush landscapes, making the restoration job much more difficult compared to our flat terrain.
