A severe local storm struck Punta de Maisí in Guantánamo province on Monday night, causing extensive damage to electrical infrastructure and homes, although no lives were lost, according to local residents.
"Last night, a severe local storm hit Punta de Maisí, knocking down utility poles, damaging transformers, and tearing off roofs. Fortunately, there were no casualties, but the worst part is that there was no rain, the drought continues!!!" reported Alexis Morales on his Facebook page.
Morales noted that winds exceeded 50 mph, with gusts reaching up to 62 mph. However, there was no significant rainfall, only a brief and light drizzle that barely wet the ground. Several residents reported intense lightning strikes in the area.
In the comments on his post, Morales and other locals speculated that a tornado might have been responsible for the damage, although they could not confirm this due to the timing of the weather event.
Chely Tamayo, a local television cameraman, shared photos of a local school where the storm had caused some roof damage. "The strong winds last night in Maisí caused damage to various structures. These images are from the Puriales secondary school, part of the Vertientes community in Maisí," he explained.
In another post, Tamayo quoted Roelmi Guilarte, the director of Maisí's electric utility company, who stated that "the falling of electric poles and transformers left a large part of the municipality without power for several hours." Guilarte assured that "work is ongoing tirelessly to restore the service."
By early Tuesday afternoon, crews were working in the neighborhood of Las Petrocasas in Limones. "A pole and a transformer are being replaced, and we expect the issue to be resolved today," the post indicated.
At the time of this report, Maisí authorities had not yet disclosed the extent of the material losses caused by the storm.
Impending Tropical Threat
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Helene formed on Tuesday in the northwest Caribbean Sea, posing a threat to Cuba, Mexico, and Florida with heavy rains, strong winds, and storm surges.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported in the afternoon that the tropical system is moving towards Cuba’s Pinar del Río province with the potential to intensify into a hurricane in the coming hours.
Cuban Civil Defense has urged the population to stay informed and follow the authorities' instructions. However, with power outages lasting over 12 hours daily, it is very challenging for residents of Pinar del Río to stay updated on the progress of this weather system.