Hurricane Oscar is approaching Cuba, with the storm expected to make landfall on Sunday. Currently situated about 115 miles east-northeast of Guantanamo, Oscar has maximum sustained winds of 80 mph.
This comes as Cuba struggles to recover from a significant blackout that affected nearly one-fifth of its 10 million residents after the national grid collapsed twice within a day. The government has managed to restore power to some areas, but the situation remains critical as the hurricane looms.
Hurricane Oscar made landfall early Sunday in the southeastern Bahamas, specifically on Great Inagua island, and is now moving toward Cuba. The National Hurricane Center warns of a dangerous storm surge that could cause significant coastal flooding in the Bahamas. Rainfall estimates suggest two to four inches across the southeastern Bahamas, with some areas potentially receiving up to six inches.
As Oscar approaches Cuba, forecasters predict heavy rainfall of five to ten inches through Tuesday, with isolated spots possibly experiencing up to 15 inches. The storm formed off the Bahamas coast on Saturday and previously brushed past the Turks and Caicos islands.
Hurricane Oscar is packing maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kph), with even stronger gusts. As of now, its center is situated about 80 miles (130 kilometers) east-northeast of Guantanamo, Cuba, moving west at 7 mph (11 kph). The storm is anticipated to make landfall in either Guantanamo or Holguin on Sunday, likely maintaining hurricane strength upon arrival. This poses a serious threat to the already struggling island.
Cuba experienced a nationwide blackout on Friday after one of its main power plants failed, impacting the entire population of 10 million. By Friday evening, power was restored to about 20,000 residents in Havana, which has a population of 2 million. Chronic power outages have plagued Cuba for years, and the situation has deteriorated recently. In response to the critical circumstances over the past few days, the government implemented measures to stabilize the electricity supply.
