Cuba Gradually Restores Power After Hurricane Rafael: Havana Still Shrouded in Darkness

In the wake of Hurricane Rafael, which pummeled Cuba with winds exceeding 115 mph (185 kph), authorities have slowly begun restoring power to the eastern parts of the island.

The powerful storm, which made landfall on Wednesday, knocked out the nation’s already fragile electrical grid, plunging around 10 million Cubans into darkness.

By Thursday, pockets of central and eastern regions were starting to see the return of electricity, but Havana, the bustling capital of two million people, remained without power.

Severe Impact on Cuba’s Power Grid and Infrastructure

As Rafael tore through Cuba, it left behind a trail of destruction, damaging homes, uprooting trees, and toppling telephone poles.

The storm’s ferocity caused the island’s already overstretched electrical grid to collapse, worsening the ongoing energy crisis that has plagued the nation for months.

Even before the hurricane’s arrival, Cuba had been grappling with rolling blackouts due to a combination of outdated oil-fired power plants and dwindling oil imports from allied nations such as Venezuela, Russia, and Mexico.

The Energy and Mines Ministry provided updates on Thursday, noting progress in power restoration across some parts of the island but cautioning that the recovery would take longer in the western regions, which bore the brunt of Rafael’s wrath.

Artemisa Province, known as Havana’s agricultural breadbasket, was hit especially hard, with high-tension power lines downed along major highways and significant damage to crucial farmlands.

Ongoing Blackouts and Resource Struggles

While efforts are being made to restore electricity, Havana remains in the dark, with no clear timeline for when power will be fully restored.

Residents have been dealing with frequent blackouts even before Rafael struck, as Cuba’s aging infrastructure struggles to meet the country’s energy demands.

The situation has been further exacerbated by recent cuts in oil imports, leading to fuel shortages and widespread discontent among citizens.

Rafael’s impact is particularly devastating as it comes on the heels of Hurricane Oscar, which hit eastern Cuba just weeks earlier.

The back-to-back storms have drained resources, worsening the nation’s already critical shortages of food, medicine, and fuel.

Despite these challenges, authorities managed to evacuate over 220,000 people from vulnerable areas ahead of Rafael’s landfall, with no reported fatalities.

Life Slowly Resumes Amidst Recovery Efforts

By late Thursday, there were signs of gradual recovery in some areas. Clearer skies over Havana allowed road crews and residents to begin clearing debris, fallen trees, and other storm-related damage.

Despite these efforts, most shops, banks, and government offices remained shuttered, and schools will remain closed until at least Monday, according to officials.

The storm forced the closure of Havana’s airport, which has since reopened as of noon on Thursday.

However, the recovery process is far from complete, with many Cubans expressing concerns over the availability of essential goods in the coming weeks.

Rosa Martinez, a 62-year-old resident of Toledo, a small town near the impacted region, captured the mood of the populace. “You have to see it to believe it,” she said, surveying the damage to her community. “Food was already scarce and expensive before, and now, after the storm, it’s going to be even harder to find. We were struggling before, but now it will be worse.”

Agricultural Devastation Threatens Food Security

The agricultural sector, which plays a vital role in Cuba’s economy, was also significantly affected.

As the winter planting season was just beginning, Rafael destroyed thousands of hectares of banana plants, yucca, beans, corn, and rice. Farmers rushed to harvest ripening crops before the hurricane’s arrival to prevent a total loss.

In Artemisa, the damage to farmlands threatens food supplies in a country already facing severe shortages and high prices.

Local officials are particularly concerned about the long-term impact on food security, as the destruction of crops could lead to a reduction in food availability in the coming months.

The government has promised to support recovery efforts in the agricultural sector, but the road to rebuilding will be challenging.

A Call for Patience Amid Continued Challenges

Despite the government’s efforts to restore power and clear infrastructure, there remains a palpable sense of frustration among Cubans who have endured repeated power outages, economic hardship, and now, the aftermath of two hurricanes in less than a month.

The Energy and Mines Ministry has appealed for public understanding, acknowledging the difficulties and promising continued efforts to stabilize the grid and prevent future disruptions.

Hurricane Rafael, which had earlier grazed the Cayman Islands as a Category 1 storm, rapidly intensified to a Category 3 cyclone before slamming into Cuba’s southwestern coast.

Although the hurricane has since moved into the Gulf of Mexico, where it no longer poses an immediate threat to land, the damage left in its wake will take weeks, if not months, to fully repair.

As Cuba grapples with the aftermath, the nation is reminded once again of the urgent need to modernize its energy infrastructure and reduce its reliance on aging, oil-dependent power plants.

For now, however, the priority remains restoring power, clearing debris, and ensuring that essential services can resume as soon as possible.