The tropical storm known as Oscar has rapidly intensified, now classified as a hurricane with sustained winds of 80 mph (130 km/h), as reported by the United States National Hurricane Center in a special advisory issued at 2:00 pm on Saturday. This hurricane poses a significant threat to northern Cuba, where residents are struggling to stay informed amid a widespread blackout since Friday and an internet outage that has lasted over 24 hours.
Initially a tropical storm at 11:00 am on Saturday, Oscar has quickly gained strength as it moves westward, impacting the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas, where hurricane warnings have been issued. The hurricane is on a path that could bring it dangerously close to eastern Cuba, particularly its northern coast, where hazardous weather conditions, including strong winds, heavy rainfall, and storm surges, are anticipated in the coming hours.
Oscar may make landfall in Holguín province before veering northeast, according to its projected path. Despite the severity of the situation, many Cubans remain without access to up-to-date information due to the ongoing power and internet outages.
Urgent Civil Defense Advisory
Cuba's Civil Defense has issued an advisory urging residents to "stay informed," although it has yet to provide details on any contingency plans to disseminate information throughout neighborhoods during the massive blackout. Close monitoring of Oscar is being conducted by the Cuban Institute of Meteorology's Forecast Center and the Civil Defense, with a new update expected at 6:00 pm on Saturday.