Hurricane Ian wreaks havoc in Cuba, island left powerless. More details here

The powerful category 3 Hurricane Ian hit western Cuba on Tuesday morning with gusty winds of over 150 kmph causing extensive damage to the entire region. With the electrical installations destroyed, the authorities (National Electrical System –the state-run company) switched off the whole power supply to avoid electrocution and damage to property. However, timely measures to evacuate over 38,000 people from the western region where the storm landed saved a considerable loss of life.

The entire Island of Cuba is under blackout

Hurricane Ian was the last straw on Cuba's old, ailing electrical grid system. While power breakdowns were happening daily, the storm forced a collapse of the system pushing over 11 million people on the island into darkness. Electricity workers are on the job non-stop, and the authorities are hoping to restore power latest by Wednesday morning.

Severe economic impact

Cuba was already under a crisis when Hurricane Ian stormed its (Cuba) shores. Food shortages and supply issues in fuel and medicines were already affecting the country all through summer. The after-effect of the storm will now add to the miseries of the Cuban people.

FAQs

What is Hurricane Ian?
Hurricane Ian originated on September 19 from east of the Windward Islands. After causing heavy damage to western Cuba, the storm moved towards South Florida in the US.

What was the wind speed of the storm?
The storm had touched a speed of 250 kmph.