MIAMI (AP) — Hurricane Oscar has made landfall in eastern Cuba, an island beleaguered by a massive power outage, after striking the southeastern Bahamas earlier in the day Sunday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.
The center in Miami said the storm’s center arrived in the Cuban province of Guantanamo, near the city of Baracoa, on Sunday evening. Its maximum sustained winds were near 80 mph. This satellite image provided by NOAA on Saturday, Oct.
19, 2024 shows Hurricane Oscar. Courtesy National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Forecasters said five to 10 inches of rain are expected across eastern Cuba through Tuesday, with some isolated locations getting up to 15 inches. Oscar made landfall on Great Inagua island in the Bahamas earlier Sunday.
It is expected to produce a dangerous storm surge that could translate into significant coastal flooding there and in other areas of the southeastern Bahamas. Two to four inches of rainfall were expected, with isolated areas seeing up to six inches. The hurricane’s arrival comes as Cuba tries to recover from its worst blackout in at least two years, which left millions without power for two days last week.
Some electrical service was restored Saturday. Philippe Papin of the National Hurricane Center said it was somewhat unexpected that Oscar became a hurricane Saturday. “Unfortunately the system kind of snuck up a little bit on us,” Papin said.
There’s no indication on the hurricane center site that Oscar will hit Florida as a hurricane, but coastal flooding and riptide warnings have been issued by the National Weather Service . Weather reports For damaged North Carolina wineries, there are no harvest celebrations to be found Florida man charged after tying dog to pole in flood before evacuating Will central Pa. see a lot of snow? Here’s what forecasters say about the coming winter Helene and Milton are both likely to rank among most costly storms in US history.
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Hurricane Oscar hits Cuba, already suffering without power
Forecasters said five to 10 inches of rain are expected across eastern Cuba through Tuesday.