Cuba in the dark after hurricane knocks out power grid

28/9/2022 12:22

        Cuba remained in the dark early Wednesday after Hurricane Ian knocked out its power grid and devastated some of the country's most important tobacco farms when it hit the island's western tip as a major storm.
        
        Authorities were working overnight to gradually restore service to the country's 11 million people, according to a statement from Cuba's Electric Union. 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 Rio 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 toppled trees. Authorities were still assessing the damage, although no fatalities had been reported by Tuesday night.
        
        Ian's winds damaged one of Cuba's most important tobacco farms in La Robaina.