WILLEMSTAD – Severe thunderstorms that struck parts of Curaçao early Sunday morning have damaged dozens of internet modems, television decoders, and power adapters belonging to telecommunications provider Flow. The damage prompted numerous customers to visit the company's Brievengat office on Monday to replace equipment that stopped working following the storms.
According to Flow, more than 50 internet modems and television decoders, along with dozens of power adapters, were replaced on Monday alone.
The thunderstorms developed around 5:00 a.m. Sunday, bringing intense lightning activity to several areas of the island.
In some homes, electrical circuit breakers were triggered, automatically cutting off the electricity supply. According to local newspaper Èxtra, many Flow customers in these households subsequently discovered that their internet or television equipment had been damaged.
Flow representative Clarissa Eliciana confirmed to Èxtra that the company experienced an unusually high demand for replacement equipment on Monday.
Customers began arriving at the Brievengat location early in the morning, seeking assistance after finding that their modems or television decoders were no longer functioning.
The company reported that the thunderstorms had also caused damage to parts of its telecommunications network, affecting internet connectivity and television services.
As a result, Flow technicians were deployed to repair damaged infrastructure and restore connections in affected neighborhoods.
According to Eliciana, the company's immediate priority on Monday was to address areas where customers had completely lost internet access.
Technical teams concentrated on restoring network operations before continuing with other service-related problems.
At the same time, Flow personnel assisted customers who brought damaged equipment to the company's office.
Eliciana indicated that customers who reported their defective equipment on Monday received replacements that same day.
However, the company anticipated that additional customers would seek assistance on Tuesday as more households discovered damage caused by the thunderstorms.
The severity of Sunday's weather conditions reportedly exceeded initial expectations.
Although the Meteorological Department had anticipated cloudy conditions and scattered rain showers, the thunderstorm activity that developed early Sunday morning was considerably more intense.
Lightning and electrical disturbances can damage electronic equipment, including internet modems, television receivers, routers, and power adapters.
Such damage can occur even when electrical circuit breakers operate as intended, since ordinary breakers are not specifically designed to protect sensitive electronics against every type of electrical surge.
By Monday, Flow had restored most of its affected services, although technicians continued working on remaining network problems.
The company expected to continue assisting customers with damaged equipment on Tuesday.
It remains unclear how many households across Curaçao experienced internet or television interruptions as a result of the storms.
The total financial damage to Flow's equipment and telecommunications infrastructure has also not been disclosed.
The incident highlights the vulnerability of telecommunications equipment during severe thunderstorms, particularly when lightning activity causes electrical disturbances affecting homes and network infrastructure.
For Flow, the immediate focus remains on replacing damaged customer equipment and ensuring that internet and television services are fully restored in the affected areas.