Cuba stands completely ravaged after taking a hit from the infamous hurricane Ian which has not only destroyed its already threatened economic crisis but also has posed extraterritorial threats.
Cuba is complete without power after Hurricane Ian pummeled the western end of the island, its government has announced. When it made landfall on the island’s western point as a powerful storm on Tuesday, it obliterated some of the most significant tobacco crops in the nation.
According to officials, one of the key power plants was unable to be brought back online, which has caused the electrical system to completely fail. The area experienced its first direct major hurricane strike since 1921. The Electric Union of Cuba announced that service will be progressively restored to Cuba’s 11 million residents.
The western areas of Cuba initially lost power for about 1 million people, but finally, its entire grid failed. Buildings around the country sustained damage and two persons were reported killed. Prior to Ian’s arrival, many people were evacuated, and others left the area. This led to flooding, destroyed homes, and toppled trees.
Cuba Dread Area
Authorities were still assessing the damage as of Tuesday night while there had yet to be any reports of injuries. The most significant energy facility in Cuba is Antonio Guiteras, which is located in Matanzas, 100 km from the capital Havana. Due to its shutdown, the entire island was without electrical production.
According to state media, Cuban President Miguel Dáz-Canel allegedly paid a visit to the affected area. as per Cuba’s Meteorology Institute, Cuba region Pinar del Ro experienced the fury of the hurricane for an hour and a half. In addition to 50,000 people being evacuated and 55 shelters being set up, authorities took efforts to rescue crops, especially tobacco.
But the terror was definitely not restrained to Cuba. Cuba saw pictures of devastation as the storm’s center headed towards the Gulf. There have been constant problems like food shortage and constant decrease in standard of life as some of the main products for both internal and external produce stands affected.
The proprietor of the well-known Finca Robaina cigar manufacturer shared images of the devastation the hurricane caused on the tobacco farms on social media. Hirochi Robaina described it as “apocalyptic, a terrible calamity.” A Pinar del Rio resident named Mayelin Suarez described the storm’s arrival on Monday night as the darkest day in her life. She told Reuters how she and her family used a rope to keep the gripÂ
Safety Precautions
According to the US National Storm Center (NHC), the Category 3 hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 195 km/hrs. as it headed north into Florida. By the time it reaches Florida’s western shore, Ian, according to the NHC, maybe a stage four hurricane with winds of more than 130 mph.
Ian was expected to intensify over the warm Gulf of Mexico and move toward the southwest coast of Florida, in which 2.5 million people were ordered to evacuate, with winds as high as 130 mph (209 pHs.). According to The Washington Post, Tampa’s vicinity may be hardest hit by the impact, which is expected to occur in the late afternoon or evening.
The hurricane is “the real deal,” the governor of Florida warned during a press conference on Tuesday. Over the weekend, he proclaimed an emergency state for the entirety of Florida and mobilized 5,000 National Guard members.
Georgia, a neighboring state, has also proclaimed an emergency and mobilized 500 National Guard members. The White House has issued its own emergency announcement, which will aid in coordinating disaster relief and support between federal and state officials.
On Tuesday night, Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican Governor Ron DeSantis spoke, and the two promised to “maintain tight coordination,” according to the White House. Hurricane Fiona, which devastated the Caribbean last week, has left the region still in shambles.
Fiona killed two people, swept homes into the sea, and destroyed electric lines over the weekend as it moved northward to areas of Canada’s shoreline and eastern Quebec.
