HAVANA (AP) – Tropical Storm Oscar dumped heavy rain on eastern Cuba on Monday after making landfall as a Category 1 hurricane on an island already battered by a major blackout.
Its maximum sustained winds reached 85 kilometers per hour (50 miles per hour) as the system moved west at 4 km/h (2 mph), the US National Hurricane Center in Miami said. The storm was about 10 km (5 miles) east of Guantánamo, Cuba.
About 36 centimeters (up to 14 inches) of rain was expected in the eastern part of the island, with up to 51 cm (20 inches) in isolated places. Forecasters warned of “major life-threatening floods as well as mudslides. “
Oscar landed in the eastern province of Guantánamo, near the city of Baracoa, on Sunday afternoon with winds of 120 km/h (75 mph). It had also made landfall on Saturday in Great Inagua, in the Bahamas, where several residents were evacuated due to damage to their homes.
Rain and flooding were reported in low-lying areas in eastern areas. Cuban media reported storm surges of 2 meters (6.5 feet) along the coast, and damage to roofs and walls in Baracoa.
The storm was expected to leave the northern coast of Cuba on Monday night and approach the central and southeastern Bahamas on Tuesday, according to investigators in the United States.
There were tropical storm warnings for the northern coast of the Cuban provinces of Las Tunas, Holguin and Guantánamo to Punta de Maisí, as well as the southern coast of the Guantánamo region and the southeastern part of the Bahamas. Tropical storm warnings have been issued for the northern coast of Camagüey and the central Bahamas.
Cuba suffered a widespread power outage on Friday. Part of the service was restored on Saturday, but most of the population was still without power. The energy minister said he hoped the power grid could be repaired on Monday or Tuesday.
2024-10-21 12:38:00
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