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What happened, where and when?
Hurricane Oscar impacted Cuba on October 20 and 21, 2024. The storm made landfall near Baracoa, in Guantánamo province, on 20 October, with winds reaching 130 km/h, classifying it as a Category 1 hurricane. Moving at 11 km/h, Oscar remained over Cuban territory for almost 24 hours before exiting near Gibara in northern Holguín province as a tropical storm with winds of 65 km/h. The municipalities of Baracoa and Maisí, along with other areas in eastern Cuba, were hit hardest by strong winds and heavy rains.
Preliminary reports highlight severe damage aecting homes, agriculture, electrical infrastructure, and state facilities, including warehouses, pharmacies, health centers, and schools. The impact in dierent provinces was as follows:
- Guantánamo: San Antonio del Sur recorded 353 mm of rainfall, with 275 mm falling within three hours. Imías experienced unprecedented ooding, and electrical lines were severely damaged. Agricultural losses and damages to health facilities are still under evaluation.
- Holguín: 48.6 mm of rain fell in just 12 hours, and reservoirs were at 73.3% capacity.
- Granma: Rainfall concentrated in mountainous areas, which remain under close observation.
- Santiago de Cuba: The economic impact was primarily on coee production, with 32,000 cans of coee beans collected to prevent humidity-related losses.
- Las Tunas: more than 14,000 residents were protected from the hurricane's threat.
These events unfolded in an already challenging context for the country, which is grappling with prolonged shortages of essential goods and an energy emergency characterized by fuel shortages and failures in power plants. Generators and renewable energy systems have been used to maintain access to basic services. Despite coordinated government eorts, signicant humanitarian needs remain, worsened by the hurricane. Power, water, and telecommunications disruptions have increased the vulnerability of rural and coastal communities, where infrastructure is fragile, and response capacity is limited.
Cuba’s eastern provinces have a history of extreme weather events, such as the heavy rains of March 2023, which caused signicant damage and displacement. However, the devastation caused by Hurricane Oscar poses a serious threat to long-term recovery, especially in key sectors like agriculture and energy. The widespread damage to critical infrastructure underscores the need for an urgent and comprehensive emergency response.