BETHEL — Duracell, which is headquartered in Bethel, Connecticut, announced that its PowerForward program is heading to Puerto Rico to help the island out...

BETHEL — Duracell, which is headquartered in Bethel, Connecticut, announced that its PowerForward program is heading to Puerto Rico to help the island out with hurricane relief. PowerForward is a program Duracell created to help with disaster relief across the nation when needed.

Arriving by cargo plane, they plan to arrive to Puerto Rico Thursday to distribute more than $1 million worth of batteries, as well as charging cellphones/stations and internet access. It’s to help people so they can connect with family and loved ones.

Duracell says this is the program’s largest deployment since the initiative began in 2011.

The island is still nearly 90% without power, and Duracell says that the batteries distributed by PowerForward will charge cellphones, radios, and flashlights. They will also provide power for critical medical devices like dialysis machines, hearing aids, and ventilators.