Category 3 Hurricane Ian has devastated the island nation of Cuba. The power supply has come to a complete standstill. This has been confirmed by the government officials. On Tuesday, the head of the Electric Power Authority announced on Cuba’s state television that the breakdown of the national electrical system has resulted in an island-wide blackout, leaving 11 million people in the dark, reports the BBC.
One person has died in Monday night’s storm, while buildings have been damaged across the country.
Forecasters warned that some areas of Cuba could receive up to 12 inches of rain.
Meanwhile, Ian is moving at a speed of 195 km per hour, according to the latest update from the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) on Tuesday night, which is beginning to affect Florida.
The BBC quoted NHC as saying that it is expected to reach the west coast of Florida late Wednesday.
The center said Ian may have been a Category Four hurricane when it struck Florida’s west coast, with about 2.5 million people under evacuation orders in the state.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Tuesday declared a state of emergency for the state and activated 5,000 National Guard troops.
The White House has also made its own emergency declaration, which will help federal and state officials coordinate disaster relief and aid.
The White House said President Joe Biden spoke with DeSantis on Tuesday evening and the two committed to continued close coordination.
