Second Power Outage Strikes Cuba Following Hurricane Rafael’s Passage
The communist-ruled island, which is currently facing an energy crisis, experienced a four-day blackout last month that left 10 million people without power.
Cuba’s national electricity grid suffered a second outage in two weeks after Hurricane Rafael, a category 3 storm, hit the island. Large waves hit Havana’s shoreline on Wednesday night amidst heavy rain and strong winds.
Forecasters warned that Hurricane Rafael could bring life-threatening storm surges and flash floods to Cuba as it has already impacted Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.
Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, who took over from Raul Castro in 2021, shared on X that assessments were being made in the affected areas to begin the recovery process.
Cuba’s capital city, home to two million people, is susceptible to storms due to its aging infrastructure and densely-packed housing.
‘I’m Scared’
Rafael caused evacuations in the west of the island as it crossed the province of Artemisa, west of Havana, late Wednesday.
By Thursday morning, the National Hurricane Center reported that Rafael had weakened to a category 2 storm and was heading towards south-west Texas.
The latest blackout comes shortly after a previous four-day power outage on the island due to the ongoing energy crisis and the impact of Hurricane Oscar.
17th Storm Of Hurricane Season
Rafael is the 17th named storm of the hurricane season, which has been predicted to see more storms compared to the average.
Cuba has been ruled by a communist regime since 1959, facing economic challenges that have been exacerbated in recent years, leading to an energy crisis.
Nicolas Maduro’s government in Venezuela has been supplying oil to Cuba but a decrease in imports has worsened the situation.
Cuba has wind farms, including one at Isla De La Juventud, that are working towards restoring power after the recent blackout.
Cuban officials are urging precaution and preparedness in the face of Hurricane Rafael’s impact on the country.
Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
