- Hurricane Oscar leaves six dead as it hits during ongoing power blackouts in Cuba
- The blackout occurred on Friday when the country’s largest power plant collapsed
- Oscar hit on Sunday as a Category 1 storm leaving behind destruction and loss of life
Hurricane Oscar leaves six dead in Cuba
Hurricane Oscar left six people dead after hitting Cuba over the weekend, during a nationwide power blackout, authorities confirmed Monday. The blackout occurred on Friday when the collapse of the country’s largest power plant knocked out electricity for Cuba’s 10 million residents.
By Monday afternoon, nearly 90% of Havana’s two million residents had regained power, according to a report by the capital’s electricity company on the state-run news portal Cubadebate. However, many areas outside Havana were still without electricity.
The hurricane made landfall in eastern Cuba on Sunday as a Category 1 storm, leaving behind destruction and loss of life. “Regrettably, according to preliminary reports, six lives have been lost,” President Miguel Diaz-Canel said in a televised address. The eastern province of Guantanamo was particularly hard hit by the storm.
Although Hurricane Oscar weakened into a tropical storm as it moved inland, the U.S. National Hurricane Center warned that it could still cause “life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.” Cuban state television reported significant damage, including collapsed roofs, damaged walls, and downed power lines and trees.
