In brief
Cuba is grappling with a nationwide blackout as Hurricane Rafael makes landfall, wreaking havoc across the island.
Despite the warnings and precautions, Hurricane Rafael has left the entirety of Cuba without power. The powerful hurricane, with winds reaching 185 km/h (115 mph), struck the western province of Artemisa near Havana on Wednesday afternoon, leading to a total shutdown of the country's electricity infrastructure. The national energy company confirmed that emergency protocols were activated in response to the storm's destructive force.As the storm made its presence felt, it brought with it not only powerful winds but also alarming predictions of storm surges, flash flooding, and landslides, as detailed by the US National Hurricane Center (NHC). The timing couldn't be worse, coming just a few weeks after a different blackout had stranded millions without electricity for four days due to problems with Cuba's aging energy systems.Preemptively, over 70,000 residents were evacuated from their homes ahead of Rafael's arrival, indicating the seriousness with which authorities approached this threat. Local media reported that the situation would continue to intensify, with heavy rains forecasted to hammer western Cuba through Thursday. Although Rafael is expected to weaken as it traverses the island, forecasters are warning that it will still maintain hurricane status when it re-enters the Gulf of Mexico.Compounding the situation, heavy rain has triggered tropical storm warnings in the nearby Florida Keys, while the Cayman Islands brace for downpours as well. Two weeks ago, Cuba already faced challenges when approximately 10 million citizens lost power due to maintenance issues and fuel shortages, coinciding with the earlier Hurricane Oscar. That storm left devastating damages in its wake, particularly in the eastern province of Guantánamo, where thousands of homes were affected.Despite the threat posed by Hurricane Rafael, some residents, like British tourist Klara Kszczotek, have expressed a calm demeanor, noting that they are keeping informed through news updates. While she feels safe for now, the situation remains precarious as Cuba continues to navigate the challenges posed by its fragile power infrastructure amid severe weather conditions.
