Amid a widespread blackout that has affected the island since Friday, Cubans cannot access news or the internet, hindering the reception of crucial alerts issued by the Civil Defense regarding the imminent arrival of tropical storm Oscar, which could impact the province of Holguín.
The Forecast Center of the Institute of Meteorology (INSMET) reported that tropical storm Oscar is located north of the Dominican Republic, moving westward, with the possibility of impacting the eastern region of Cuba in the next 12 to 24 hours.
Intense rainfall, thunderstorms, winds with tropical storm force, and dangerous surf are expected on the northern coast from Guantánamo to Las Tunas.
The Civil Defense urged the population this Saturday to remain alert and follow the information issued through the media, but the lack of electricity and internet in most of the country has left many Cubans disconnected from the warnings.
"It is contradictory to ask to stay alert when they can't even receive the information," comment several Cubans living abroad, who claim that their relatives on the island have also been without internet for nearly 24 hours.
Oscar, which formed on the morning of this Saturday, is the fifteenth tropical storm of the hurricane season. At 11:00 am, it was located 170 kilometers north of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, and 430 kilometers east-northeast of Punta de Maisí, the easternmost point of Cuba.
The phenomenon has sustained maximum winds of 65 kilometers per hour, with higher gusts, and could make landfall in Holguín.
The blackout, which has affected the entire island, complicates the situation even further. Authorities have warned that weather conditions will deteriorate rapidly starting Sunday, and have urged the population to comply with the safety measures issued by Civil Defense to minimize risks.
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