Cuba without electricity after hurricane hammers power grid
Hurricane Ian knocked out power across all of Cuba and devastated some of the countrys most important tobacco farms when it slammed into the islands western tip as a major hurricane Tuesday.
Cubas Electric Union said in a statement that work was underway to gradually restore service to the countrys 11 million people during the night. Power was initially knocked out to about 1 million people in Cubas western provinces, but later the entire grid collapsed.
Ian hit a Cuba that has been struggling with an economic crisis and has faced frequent power outages in recent months. It made landfall as a Category 3 storm on the islands western end, devastating Pinar del Río province, where much of the tobacco used for Cubas iconic cigars is grown.
Tens of thousands of people were evacuated and others fled the area ahead of the arrival of Ian, which caused flooding, damaged houses and blew toppled trees. Authorities were still assessing the damage, although no victims had been reported by Tuesday night.
Ians winds damaged one of Cubas most important tobacco farms in La Robaina.
“It was apocalyptic, a real disaster,” said Hirochi Robaina, owner of the farm that bears his name and that his grandfather made known internationally.
Robaina, also the owner of the Finca Robaina cigar producer, posted photos on social media of wood-and-thatch roofs smashed to the ground, greenhouses in rubble and wagons overturned.
State media said Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel visited the affected region.
Cubas Meteorology Institute said the city of Pinar del Río was in worst of the hurricane for an hour and a half.
“Being in the hurricane was terrible for me, but we are here alive,” said Pinar del Rio resident Yusimí Palacios, who asked authorities for a roof and a mattress.
Officials had set up 55 shelters, evacuated 50,000 people, and took steps to protect crops, especially tobacco.
The US National Hurricane Center said Cuba suffered “significant wind and storm surge impacts” when the hurricane struck with top sustained winds of 205 kph.
Ian was expected to get even stronger over the warm Gulf of Mexico, reaching top winds of 209 kph approaching the southwestern coast of Florida, where 2.5 million people were ordered to evacuate.
As the storms centre moved into the Gulf, scenes of destruction emerged in Cuba. Authorities were still assessing the damage in its world-famous tobacco belt.
Local government station TelePinar reported heavy damage at the main hospital in Pinar del Rio city, tweeting photos of collapsed ceilings and downed trees. No deaths were reported.
“I spent the hurricane at home with my husband and the dog. The masonry and zinc roof of the house had just been installed. But the storm tore it down,” said Mercedes Valdés, who lives along the highway connecting Pinar del Río to San Juan y Martínez. We couldnt rescue our things … we just ran out.”
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