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Hurricane Ian knocks out power in Cuba

Hurricane Ian knocked out power across all of Cuba and devastated some of the country's most important tobacco farms when it slammed into the island's western tip as a major hurricane Tuesday.

Cuba's Electric Union said in a statement that work was underway to gradually restore service to the country's 11 million people during the night. Power was initially knocked out to about 1 million people in Cuba's western provinces, but later the entire grid collapsed.

Ian hit a Cuba that has been struggling with an economic crisis and has faced frequent power outages in recent months. It made landfall as a Category 3 storm on the island's western end, devastating Pinar del Río province, where much of the tobacco used for Cuba's iconic cigars is grown.

Tens of thousands of people were evacuated and others fled the area ahead of the arrival of Ian, which caused flooding, damaged houses and blew toppled trees. Authorities were still assessing the damage, although no victims had been reported by Tuesday night.

Ian's winds damaged one of Cuba's most important tobacco farms in La Robaina.

Cubans face Hurricane Ian in Pinar del Rio, Cuba
A vintage car passes by debris caused by the Hurricane Ian as it passed in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, September 27, 2022. Alexandre Meneghini / REUTERS

"It was apocalyptic, a real disaster," said Hirochi Robaina, owner of the farm that bears his name and that his grandfather made known internationally.

Robaina, also the owner of the Finca Robaina cigar producer, posted photos on social media of wood-and-thatch roofs smashed to the ground, greenhouses in rubble and wagons overturned.

State media said Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel visited the affected region.

Cuba's Meteorology Institute said the city of Pinar del Río was in worst of the hurricane for an hour and a half.

"Being in the hurricane was terrible for me, but we are here alive," said Pinar del Rio resident Yusimí Palacios, who asked authorities for a roof and a mattress.

Officials had set up 55 shelters, evacuated 50,000 people, and took steps to protect crops, especially tobacco.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Cuba suffered "significant wind and storm surge impacts" when the hurricane struck with top sustained winds of 125 mph (205 kph).  

Cubans face Hurricane Ian in Pinar del Rio, Cuba
People pass by an electric transformer laying on the street in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, September 27, 2022. Alexandre Meneghini / REUTERS

Local government station TelePinar reported heavy damage at the main hospital in Pinar del Rio city, tweeting photos of collapsed ceilings and downed trees. No deaths were reported.

"I spent the hurricane at home with my husband and the dog. The masonry and zinc roof of the house had just been installed. But the storm tore it down," said Mercedes Valdés, who lives along the highway connecting Pinar del Río to San Juan y Martínez. "We couldn't rescue our things ... we just ran out."

El director del Hospital Abel Santamaría Cuadrado de #PinardelRío, Orestss Moya Álvarez informó que como consecuencia del paso del #HuracánIan se perciben serias afectaciones estructurales, en la impermeabilización de las cubiertas y en otros espacios del centro. #PinardelRío pic.twitter.com/6utHum8YMn

— TelePinar (@TelePinar) September 27, 2022

Hurricane Ian was forecasted to make landfall along the west coast of Florida's peninsula Wednesday. As of Tuesday night, the storm was still churning in the Gulf of Mexico, where the warm waters allowed it to rapidly strengthen.

As of 10 p.m. ET, Hurricane Ian was located about 175 miles south-southwest of Punta Gorda, Florida, and about 5 miles south of The Dry Tortugas. It was moving north-northeast at 10 mph and had maximum sustained winds of 120 mph, making it a Category 3 storm.

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