Tropical Storm Oscar left heavy rain in eastern Cuba on Monday after making landfall as a Category 1 hurricane on an island already affected by a huge blackout.
Its maximum sustained winds reached 85 kilometers per hour (50 miles per hour) as the system moved west at 4 km/h (2 mph), the US National Hurricane Center in Miami said. The storm was about 10 km (5 miles) east of Guantánamo, Cuba.
About 36 centimeters (up to 14 inches) of rain were expected in the east of the island, with maximums of up to 51 cm (20 inches) in isolated spots. Forecasters warned of “significant life-threatening flash flooding as well as mudslides.”
Oscar made landfall in the eastern province of Guantánamo, near the city of Baracoa, on Sunday afternoon with winds of 120 km/h (75 mph). It had also made landfall on Saturday in Great Inagua, in the Bahamas, where several residents were evacuated due to damage to their homes.
Rain and flooding were reported in low-lying areas in eastern provinces. Cuban media reported storm surges of 2 meters (6.5 feet) on the coast, and damage to roofs and walls in Baracoa.
The storm was expected to exit the northern coast of Cuba on Monday night and approach the central and southeastern Bahamas on Tuesday, according to forecasters in the United States.
There were tropical storm warnings for the northern coast of the Cuban provinces of Las Tunas, Holguín and Guantánamo to Punta de Maisí, as well as for the southern coast of the province of Guantánamo and for the southeastern Bahamas. Tropical storm warnings were issued for the northern coast of Camagüey and the central Bahamas.
Cuba suffered a widespread power outage on Friday. Part of the service was restored on Saturday, but the majority of the population was still without power. The energy minister expressed hope that the power grid could be repaired on Monday or Tuesday.
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