As of the latest Hurricane Oscar news, Hurricane Oscar formed Saturday, October 19, 2024 off the coast of the Bahamas. The storm transitioned from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds reaching 85 mph and higher gusts.
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As the storm approached, the Turks and Caicos Islands experienced hurricane conditions with strong winds. Hurricane warnings were issued for the Turks and Caicos and parts of the southeastern Bahamas, with rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches expected across these regions with some areas seeing up to 6 inches.
Coastal areas of the Turks and Caicos faced storm surge risks, with water levels expected to rise between 2 to 4 feet above normal tide levels.
As of the latest Hurricane Oscar news, the Cuban government has issued hurricane warnings for the provinces of Holguin, Guantanamo and Las Tunas as Hurricane Oscar news brings concerns of damage and flooding.
As of Sunday, the storm was projected to make landfall on Cuba’s northern coast in the evening or early Monday morning.
Cuba is still recovering from a major blackout earlier in the week, has started making preparations for the storm’s arrival.
Oscar is expected to bring 4 to 8 inches of rainfall to eastern Cuba, with localized areas receiving up to 10 inches. Storm surge warnings have also been issued, with coastal flooding expected along Cuba’s northern shorelines, with water levels rising between 1 to 3 feet above normal tide levels.
As of 2 a.m. on Sunday, Hurricane Oscar was located approximately 40 miles east-northeast of Great Inagua Island and 340 miles east of Camaguey.
The storm was moving westward at 10 mph and it was forecast to continue on this track before making a U-turn toward the north and northeast early next week.
As of the latest Hurricane Oscar news, the National Hurricane Center‘s forecast path suggests that after affecting Cuba, the storm will turn back toward the Bahamas, though it is expected to weaken once it re-enters the Atlantic.
Hurricane Oscar is expected to bring hurricane-force winds to the southeastern Bahamas and portions of Cuba throughout Sunday and into Monday.
Tropical storm conditions are also expected along Cuba’s southern coast. The storm is forecast to produce between 4 and 8 inches of rain in eastern Cuba with potential amounts up to 10 inches.
In the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, rainfall totals are expected to range from 2 to 4 inches with localized areas seeing up to 6 inches.
Coastal flooding is anticipated in the Turks and Caicos Islands and southeastern Bahamas, with surges raising water levels by 2 to 4 feet above normal tides. Northern Cuba may experience storm surges of 1 to 3 feet.
As of the latest Hurricane Oscar news, Hurricane warnings have been issued for several areas including the Turks and Caicos Islands, the southeastern Bahamas and the northern coast of Cuba in the provinces of Holguin and Guantanamo.
A hurricane watch is in effect for the Cuban province of Las Tunas and a tropical storm watch has been issued for the province of Camaguey, as the storm could still affect these regions with severe conditions.
Residents in these areas are being urged to complete their preparations to protect life and property as hurricane-force winds and heavy rains approach.
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As of the latest Hurricane Oscar news, Cuba is currently dealing with the aftermath of a power outage that affected millions of people earlier in the week.
Some electrical services were restored on Saturday, but Hurricane Oscar news has concerns that recovery efforts could be set back due to the storm’s approach.
With much of the population still recovering from days without power, the Cuban government has warned citizens to brace for disruptions as the storm makes landfall.
Hurricane Oscar is the 15th named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30.
Earlier in the season, Florida’s Gulf Coast was battered by two back-to-back hurricanes, Helene and Milton, which caused damage.
Hurricane Oscar news is a reminder that the Atlantic hurricane season is not yet over and residents in vulnerable areas must remain vigilant.
Just as Hurricane Oscar news unfolds, Cuba faces another crisis. A portion of the island is experiencing a power outage due to a failure at the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant in Matanzas Province.
Approximately half of the country plunged into darkness on Thursday evening and by Friday morning, the entire island had lost power.
The blackout is occurring simultaneously with the approach of Hurricane Oscar. Cuban authorities are working to restore power, but the process is slow. Some areas have seen partial restoration, but full recovery is uncertain.
The blackout was caused by a combination of factors including aging thermoelectric plants that have not been properly maintained due to a lack of funding.
The US sanctions against Cuba have made it difficult for the country to acquire the necessary resources for maintenance.
An unusually high demand for electricity from newly installed air conditioners in homes and businesses.
As of the latest Hurricane Oscar news, Over 100,000 new air conditioning units have been added to the grid this year alone. Insufficient fuel supplies exacerbated by the country’s economic struggles and sanctions also contributed to the outage.
Cuba produces some of its fuel, but not enough to meet its total energy demands.
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