Hurricane Rafael has wreaked havoc on several high-voltage power towers along the Havana-Artemisa highway, causing significant destruction in western Cuba late Wednesday. Local broadcaster ARTV-Artemisa shared images on social media, highlighting the extent of the devastation.
This incident further complicates the already challenging task of restoring electricity across the nation, following a widespread blackout that began at 2:48 PM on Wednesday. The Cuban Electric Union attributed the outage to the hurricane's strong winds, even though Rafael had not yet reached the island.
Transportation Disruptions and Emergency Response
Currently, the central road in Artemisa is blocked due to fallen trees. "Fire department forces are working tirelessly to reopen the roads," announced the local telecenter in another update.
For the time being, authorities indicate that western provinces will remain without power. The Havana Electric Company briefly mentioned that they must assess the condition of transmission lines before initiating the creation of microsystems. This comes despite the government's earlier boasts that electrical workers from central and eastern provinces had traveled to Havana to assist in recovery efforts following the hurricane.
Preemptive Measures and Ongoing Challenges
In anticipation of the hurricane's impact, the Cuban Electric Union had announced a precautionary measure: if winds reached 60 km/h, voluntary disconnection of electrical circuits in affected areas would occur to prevent infrastructure damage and ensure public safety.