People play dominoes by flashlight during a blackout in Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. Cuba remained in the dark early Wednesday after Hurricane Ian knocked out its power grid and devastated some of the country’s most important tobacco farms when it hit the island’s western tip as a major storm. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
(CUBA) – Hurricane Ian has left the people of Cuba completely without power after making landfall on the western end of the island.
Officials said the storm caused the electrical system to experience a total collapse after one of the main power plants could not be brought back online, causing a nationwide blackout on the island.
The nation’s state-run media reported that Cuba’s National Electric System said the current electricity output for the country was at zero percent on Tuesday.
Cuban officials hope to be able to restore power in parts of the country by late Tuesday or by Wednesday, according to reports.
Hurricane Ian, now with winds of 155 mph, is set to strike Florida today (Wednesday).