Cuba works to restore power after grid collapses in wake of Hurricane Ian

 By Darryl Coote and Clyde Hughes, UPI,

Published Sep. 28, 2022 3:33 PM EDT | Updated Sep. 28, 2022 6:51 PM EDT

Sept. 27 (UPI) -- Cuba began the slow process of getting its aging electrical grid back online Wednesday morning after Hurricane Ian dealt it a devastating blow the day before that left the entire island nation in the dark overnight.

Union Electrica, Cuba's national electric company said crews were working in the western section of the grid, where the storm did the most damage. Power slowly began to return in the eastern section Wednesday morning.

Officials hope that they will be able to generate enough power in the eastern and central sections of the grid to help get the western section online. It was not clear Wednesday morning how many homes have had their power restored.

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A man carries two children in the rain in search of shelter after Hurricane Ian flooded their home in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022. Ian made landfall at 4:30 a.m. EDT Tuesday in Cuba’s Pinar del Rio province, where officials set up shelters, evacuated people, rushed in emergency personnel and took steps to protect crops in the nation’s main tobacco-growing region.

The powerful storm hit western Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane with 125 mph winds and torrential rains that caused heavy flooding. The power failure in the west cascaded to the other two island grid sections.

"The fault has to do with the links between western, central and eastern Cuba," Union Electrica said, according to the Havana Times on Tuesday. "It is a complex process that demands precision work and the electrical system will be gradually restored between tonight and early tomorrow morning."

Even before Ian, millions in Cuba suffered from daily blackouts and residents had become accustomed to the power being out for hours at a time.

"Its solution requires a lot of precision," the Ministry of Mines and Energy said, confirming online that the work had begun to return power to the island.

Even before Ian, millions in Cuba suffered from daily blackouts and residents had become accustomed to the power being out for hours at a time.

"Its solution requires a lot of precision," the Ministry of Mines and Energy said, confirming online that the work had begun to return power to the island.