Cuba’s power grid company said it had restored power to the capital, Havana, on Monday, as Tropical Storm Oscar slammed into the tip of the island, downing trees and power lines.
Strong winds lashed the region as the typhoon hit land, uprooting banana plants and tearing apart houses, according to state television footage. More than 254 millimeters of rain fell in some areas, causing landslides and flooding, and cutting off the outlying areas.
Much of the eastern tip of Cuba remains without power and connectivity in the latest collapse of multiple grids over the past four days.
Energy and Mines Minister Vicente de la O Levy said experts are working carefully to avoid another power outage due to “complex” conditions.
“The last thing we want is, because of a power line down, we have another system down,” said de la O Levy.
Millions of Cubans are still without electricity, three days after a nationwide power outage. Cuban officials blame the US economic embargo for fuel shortages and metal shortages that could ease the crisis.
Cuban energy officials said they had restored 89 percent of power in Havana by mid-afternoon. Technicians were re-establishing service in some remote provinces as the island’s largest power plant, Antonio Guiteras, went online, giving a big boost to generation.
Cuba’s communist-run government has closed schools and non-essential industries until Wednesday as it continues to restore electricity.
The chief electricity officer, Lazaro Guerra, said the workers were doing important work, but warned against getting too optimistic.
“We should not expect that when the system comes back online, there will be no more blackouts,” he said, noting that the system will still generate much less than the country’s needs.
Cuba’s national power grid crashed for the first time on Friday, ahead of Oscar’s arrival, after the island’s largest power plant was shut down and a severe fuel shortage disrupted the system, leaving 10 million people without power.
Cuba’s grid has failed in whole or in part three times since then, underscoring the fragile state of the country’s infrastructure and endangering many Cubans, who are already struggling with food, fuel and medicine shortages.
He is black for months
Havana was quiet all night. But a Reuters witness saw several scattered protests in poor, outlying areas, with residents banging pots in frustration after days of power outages and food and water shortages.
President Miguel Diaz-Canel spoke on national television Sunday night, telling the Cuban people to express their grievances with dignity and respect.
“We will not accept or allow anyone to destroy property and we will not change the peace of our people,” said Diaz-Canel.
For months, Cubans have endured long blackouts of 10 to 20 hours a day across the country, ruining precious food stocks and making access to fuel and water difficult.
Government and private experts say the grid, which has long been on the verge of collapse, has reached a critical point as old infrastructure is crumbling and fuel is in short supply.
Cuba blames the US trade embargo, as well as sanctions imposed by former US president Donald Trump, for difficulties in obtaining fuel and spare parts to operate and maintain its oil refineries.
The US has denied any role in the grid failure.
Cuba’s allies Russia, Mexico and Venezuela have all reduced exports to the island in recent months.
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