Without power since Friday, residents of Cuba and travelers from Quebec are worried, hours before the hurricane’s passage Oscar which risks complicating an already precarious situation.
Gilles Audet spends several months in Havana every year, but for him this is “the worst breakdown he has experienced in Cuba”. It was not possible to talk to him by phone because the internet connection is very weak in several parts of Cuba at the moment. “It’s very difficult to communicate, it’s disturbing,” she says
Several Quebec travelers on social media are very concerned. Travelers who were about to fly to Cuba wondered on Saturday. “We haven’t heard anything from the travel agency. No news,” the Quebecer said on LCN.
She wasn’t the only one. Several customers who boarded four planes leaving Montreal for Cuba expressed regret that they had not received any word from their airline or travel agent.
By his side, the man expected the worst as several hotels in Cuba were in the dark.
Hurricane Oscar
Oscaron the 18E This season’s hurricane is expected to make landfall in eastern Cuba on Monday evening. Regions near the cities of Holguín, Camagüey and Santiago de Cuba are particularly at risk. The Canadian government issued a travel advisory this morning to prevent all non-essential travel to the areas of Holguin, Guantánamo and Las Tunas.
The hurricane is currently Category 1. Wind speeds of up to 130 km/h can be expected.
Since Friday, the country has been experiencing a major power outage after one of the most important thermal power plants, Antonio Guiteras, stopped working. Electricity has since been restored in several places, but most people are still in the dark.
In Guadeloupe, people are preparing for the arrivalOscar. According to Mario Da Rocha, who lives in the city, people have installed PVC water tanks on their roofs and antennas to protect their windows.
“One of the biggest problems right now is that people can’t charge their phones to contact their family because of the blackout,” says Mr. Da Rocha. “They lined up at a local restaurant that has a generator to power their equipment.
Gradual return of electricity
On Sunday afternoon, the Cuban government announced that it would restore the country’s power grid by Monday evening, before the hurricane hits the coast.
In the region around the city of Matanzas, near Varadero, where the Guiteras power plant is located, electricity was already restored on Sunday morning. “We have electricity in Matanzas because we are next to the power plant,” he explains News Andres Villa Diane, who lives in the city.
Difficulty starting work
“At the moment, many people in hotels mention the lack of staff,” explains Maria, nicknamed La Cubacoise on social media. He receives several messages from his contacts in Cuba as well as from Quebecers traveling there. Currently, many transport systems cannot operate due to difficulties in obtaining fuel.
“It’s certain that someone who doesn’t have electricity for 30 hours, who can’t cook, who can’t wash and who doesn’t have access to transport, won’t get to work,” he explains.
Cuba is now in a so-called “national lockdown” (national parish in Spanish). “Schools and non-essential services are closed until further notice, grocery stores are also closed because the country does not have the electrical capacity to operate them safely,” says Maria.
