Civil Defense declares alarm from Camagüey to Guantánamo

The National Headquarters of Civil Defense decided to establish the Cyclonic Alarm Phase this Sunday for the provinces of Guantánamo, Santiago de Cuba, Holguín, Granma, and Las Tunas, in anticipation of the imminent arrival of Hurricane Oscar.

It was decided to establish the Cyclonic Alarm Phase taking into account the information from the Forecast Center of the Institute of Meteorology, which warns that Hurricane Oscar remains a category one on the Saffir-Simpson scale and could intensify in the next 12 hours, as reported by the newspaper Venceremos in a note published on Facebook.

The weather conditions in the eastern region will continue to deteriorate with intense rains, showers, and thunderstorms, especially in mountainous areas and vulnerable localities.

According to the statement, it is expected that the accumulated rainfall will reach between 100 and 200 millimeters in the next 24 hours, while the wind strength will gradually increase.

Additionally, on the northeastern coast, strong swells are already being recorded, which will extend towards the northern coast of Las Tunas, causing moderate coastal flooding in low-lying areas.

Camagüey remains in Alert Phase, while Ciego de Ávila continues in Informative Phase. Authorities urge the population to stay informed through the media and to strictly follow the instructions of local authorities and the Civil Defense.

The National Civil Defense General Staff, along with the Meteorology and Hydraulic Resources institutes, are closely monitoring the evolution of the hurricane, the bulletin indicated.

The cyclone Oscar is expected to hit Cuba at a point on the northern coast between Guantánamo and Holguín in the afternoon of this Sunday.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned on the social network X that the cyclone "is approaching the northern coast of eastern Cuba, where conditions will soon worsen."

Due to the imminent arrival of Hurricane Oscar and the efforts to restore the national electrical system, which has been completely down since last Friday, the Cuban government decided this Sunday to suspend all non-essential administrative activities and classes.