A severe local storm hit Punta de Maisí, in the province of Guantánamo, on the night of this Monday, causing damage to electrical installations and homes, without loss of human life, according to residents of the area.
"Last night there was a severe local storm in Punta de Maisí, with fallen poles, damaged transformers, and broken roofs; fortunately, there were no casualties and the worst part is that there was no rain, the drought continues!!!" reported Alexis Morales on his Facebook profile.
He assured that winds of over 80 km/h were registered, with very strong gusts of up to 100 km/h; however, it didn't rain, there was only "a light and fleeting drizzle that did not wet the ground." Several people claimed that there were strong electrical discharges in the area.
In the comments on his post, Morales and other locals did not rule out the possibility that, instead of a storm, what occurred was a tornado, but they have not been able to confirm it due to the time at which the weather phenomenon was recorded.
Chely Tamayo, a cameraman from the local television, published photos of a local school where the event caused damage to some roofs.
"The strong winds last night in Maisí caused damage to various structures; these images belong to the Puriales basic secondary school, part of the Vertientes popular council in Maisí," he explained.
In another post, he cited statements from Roelmi Guilarte, director of the electric company of Maisí, who stated that “the fall of electric poles and transformers caused a large part of the municipality to be without service for long hours.” According to the official, “work is being done tirelessly to restore service.”
In the early afternoon of this Tuesday, work was being done in the Las Petrocasas neighborhood in Limones. “A pole and a transformer are being replaced, it is expected that it will be resolved today,” the post indicated.
As of the time of publishing this note, the authorities in Maisí have not disclosed the amount of material losses caused by the storm.
Meanwhile, in the northwest Caribbean Sea, Tropical Storm Helene formed this Tuesday, threatening Cuba, Mexico, and Florida with heavy rains, winds, and cyclonic waves.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) in the United States reported in the afternoon that the tropical system is moving towards the Cuban province of Pinar del Río with the potential to intensify and become a hurricane in the coming hours.
Cuba's Civil Defense called on the population to stay informed and follow the authorities' instructions. However, amid power outages of over 12 hours a day, it is very difficult for residents of Pinar del Río to stay informed about the evolution of this weather system.
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