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Cuban Power Grid Faces Collapse as Hurricane Oscar Approaches

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Cuba is grappling with widespread power outages as Hurricane Oscar hits the eastern region, compounding the challenges faced by millions of residents who have already endured days without electricity. The latest blackout marks the fourth collapse of the nation’s electric grid since Friday, disrupting daily life and prompting protests.

Oscar made landfall near Baracoa on Sunday afternoon as a Category 1 hurricane, bringing sustained winds of 80 mph. By nighttime, it weakened to a tropical storm, moving west-southwest at 6 mph. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned of significant rainfall, predicting 6 to 12 inches across eastern Cuba and isolated amounts reaching 18 inches.

In Havana, where more than 216,000 residents had power restored earlier in the day, darkness fell again, leaving many outdoors in the sweltering heat. Children are opting to sleep outside, while schools have been closed until Thursday due to the conditions. With the heat becoming unbearable indoors, people gathered in the streets, some playing dominoes to pass the time.

Protests erupted as frustrations mounted over the prolonged blackout, with demonstrators banging pots and pans. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel condemned the protests as acts of vandalism, asserting the government would not tolerate disruptions to public order. The energy crisis began last Friday when a major power plant failed, plunging the 10 million-strong nation into darkness and causing hardships in accessing food and water.

As residents queued for bread in the capital, many expressed anger over the ongoing power issues and questioned the absence of support from traditional allies like Venezuela and Russia, who have historically provided oil to sustain the island’s energy needs.

Despite the challenges, tourists continued to navigate Havana’s streets, although many hotels struggled due to fuel shortages for their generators. José Martí International Airport was reported to be operating on emergency power, with significant disruptions to services.

In response to the crisis, the Cuban government has canceled classes for students and advised non-essential workers to remain at home. Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz acknowledged the severity of the situation, noting that economic activities had been curtailed to prioritize power generation for the populace.

Health Minister José Angel Portal Miranda reassured that medical facilities were functioning on generators, with health workers continuing to deliver essential services despite the overwhelming challenges posed by the dual crises of Hurricane Oscar and the energy crisis.

Floridians Rush to Evacuate as Category 5 Hurricane Milton Approaches

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Floridians are scrambling to escape the Gulf Coast as Hurricane Milton, a Category 5 storm, barrels towards the state, threatening catastrophic damage. More than one million people in coastal areas have been ordered to evacuate, with residents clogging highways and gas stations running dry as the storm’s landfall approaches late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. The storm is targeting the Tampa Bay region, home to over 3 million people, but forecasters caution that its path could shift slightly.

Hurricane Milton, with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (260 kph), is one of the most powerful storms ever to threaten the Gulf Coast. The National Hurricane Center warned of a deadly storm surge of over 10 feet along much of the coast, posing grave risks to the region already battered by Hurricane Helene less than two weeks ago.

Officials, including President Joe Biden and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, have urged residents in evacuation zones to flee immediately. Michael Tylenda, visiting his son in Tampa, echoed their concern. “When you don’t evacuate when you’re ordered to, you can pretty much die,” Tylenda said, recalling the deadly aftermath of past hurricanes. “The house can be replaced. The stuff can be replaced. So it’s just better to get out of town.”

Milton has intensified rapidly, becoming the third-fastest storm to grow from a Category 1 to a Category 5 in the Atlantic within 24 hours. Climate experts, like Daniel Gilford of Climate Central, attribute the rapid intensification to unusually warm sea temperatures fueled by climate change, warning that storms like Milton could become more frequent and destructive in the future.

At 10 p.m. CDT, the storm’s eye was located 405 miles southwest of Tampa, moving northeast at 12 mph. While Milton’s winds may weaken as it approaches land, its massive size poses a continued threat not only to Florida’s Gulf Coast but also to the state’s Atlantic side.

In response to the storm, Florida’s economy, which represents about 2.8% of the U.S. GDP, faces disruptions. Airlines, energy companies, and major attractions like Universal Studios have begun halting operations, bracing for the storm’s impact.

With mandatory evacuations issued for more than a dozen coastal counties, including Hillsborough and Pinellas, over 500,000 residents in St. Petersburg alone have been ordered to evacuate. Mobile homes, nursing facilities, and assisted living centers are also under mandatory evacuation.

Fort Myers resident Jamie Watts, who lost his mobile home during Hurricane Ian in 2022, has taken shelter in a hotel with his wife this time. “We stayed during Ian and literally watched my roof tear off my house,” Watts said. “This time I’m going to be a little safer.”

As of Tuesday, traffic snarls and fuel shortages worsened the evacuation efforts. Around 17% of Florida’s nearly 8,000 gas stations had run out of fuel, according to GasBuddy.

The nation watches nervously as Hurricane Milton approaches, with hopes that Floridians in its path will find safety before the storm strikes.