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Published 21 Oct, 2024 11:06am

Hurricane Oscar hits Cuba amid widespread power outage

Hurricane Oscar made landfall in Cuba on Sunday evening, intensifying the challenges facing a nation already grappling with a significant power outage that has lasted for three days.

The storm struck shortly after the collapse of the country’s largest power plant, which resulted in a nationwide blackout.

Oscar, classified as a Category 1 hurricane, made landfall in eastern Cuba at 5:50 PM local time, bringing maximum sustained winds of nearly 80 miles per hour.

As the storm approached, waves up to 13 feet high impacted the seafront in Baracoa, causing damage to homes, electricity poles, and trees.

Cuban authorities announced plans to restore power to most of the country by Monday evening, with President Miguel Diaz-Canel warning against public disturbances during the outage.

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Energy and Mining Minister Vicente de la O Levy confirmed that most residents should have electricity restored by Monday night, although some may not see power until Tuesday.

The power grid’s failure was triggered by the unexpected shutdown of one of Cuba’s aging coal-fired power plants.

Many neighborhoods in Havana remain without electricity, leaving only hotels and hospitals with emergency generators operational. Residents expressed frustration over the prolonged blackout, with one mechanic stating, “God knows when the power will come back on.”

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