Hurricane Oscar made landfall on the northern coast of east Cuba as a Category 1 storm with winds near 80 mph before weakening to a tropical storm. The storm caused significant flash flooding and mudslides in the eastern part of the country. Cuba had already been experiencing power outages since Friday due to grid failures. The storm was expected to turn west and head towards the Bahamas, with additional weakening expected due to interactions with the terrain of eastern Cuba. The Cuban government changed the hurricane warning to a tropical storm warning for the affected areas and discontinued its hurricane watch. Up to 18 inches of rain is expected in some areas of eastern Cuba, with 3 to 5 inches in the southeastern Bahamas. Storm surge and destructive waves are also expected along Cuba’s north shore. Oscar was described as compact but powerful by the National Hurricane Center and was initially formed off the Bahamas. The storm is moving at a slow pace but is expected to impact several areas with significant rainfall and potential flooding.
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Hurricane Oscar Hits Cuba, Classified as Category 1 Storm
