A tornado hit Varadero on Thursday evening, causing significant material damage, although no official confirmation of fatalities or serious injuries has been reported so far.
According to reports from neighbors gathered on social media, the phenomenon reportedly began as a waterspout that touched down upon reaching the town, transforming into a tornado in a matter of seconds. Those who witnessed it described a large funnel accompanied by red lightning and bursts of incredibly strong winds, which created scenes of panic among the residents.
"Reports indicate having seen a large funnel with red lightning and strong winds that, although it lasted only a few minutes, caused significant damage," wrote user IsabelVlogs on , one of the first to document the event.
The trail of destruction included torn roofs on several houses, knocked down streetlights, fallen transformers, cables sprawled on the ground, and water tank lids lifted by the force of the wind.
Several streets became impassable due to the accumulation of fallen trees and branches, including First Avenue in Varadero, one of the main roads of the resort.
A security camera captured the exact moment the tornado crossed the area.
The images, shared by journalist Christian Arboláez from Cárdenas, show objects flying and the chaos that erupted within seconds. The video has accumulated over 43,000 views on Facebook.
"Neighbors agree that everything happened in just a few seconds, but it was enough to cause significant material damage in the area. So far, there has been no official report of any injuries," Arboláez noted in his post.
The Gaviota Tourism Group, a subsidiary of the state-owned company Gaesa that manages hotel facilities in Varadero, reported that its properties were not affected after the tornado, according to the portal Excelencias Cuba.
The event is not unusual for the area.
Matanzas is the province with the highest number of recorded tornadoes in western Cuba, with 64 documented events between 1991 and 2020, according to scientific studies. 82% of tornadoes in Cuba occur during the May-July quarter, which is when this event falls.
In recent years, Varadero and its surroundings have been the scene of similar phenomena: in November 2023, a waterspout was recorded in the area, and in June 2025, another waterspout was sighted near the Hicacos Peninsula that lasted about ten minutes without touching land or causing damage.
Cuban authorities have not issued any official statement regarding the tornado or the extent of the damage in the area so far.
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