MIAMI—Hurricane Oscar has made landfall early Sunday in the southeastern Bahamas and is now moving towards Cuba, an island that recently experienced a massive power outage.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami reported that the storm’s center hit Great Inagua island. It is expected to bring a dangerous storm surge that could lead to significant coastal flooding in the southeastern Bahamas and other areas. Rainfall amounts of two to four inches are expected, with isolated areas receiving up to six inches.
Forecasters predict that eastern Cuba could receive five to 10 inches of rain, with isolated areas getting up to 15 inches through Tuesday.
Oscar initially formed on Saturday off the coast of the Bahamas and passed by the Turks and Caicos islands to the south.
Although the National Hurricane Center initially described the storm as “tiny,” hurricane warnings were issued on Sunday for parts of the southeastern Bahamas and Cuba.
The storm currently has maximum sustained winds of 80 mph with higher gusts. Its center is located around 150 miles east-northeast of Guantanamo, Cuba. Oscar is moving west at 12 mph and is expected to reach Guantanamo or Holguin, Cuba, on Sunday afternoon as a hurricane.
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The arrival of the hurricane coincides with Cuba’s efforts to recover from its most severe blackout in at least two years, which left millions without power for two days last week. Some power has been restored as of Saturday.
Philippe Papin from the National Hurricane Center expressed surprise at Oscar’s rapid development into a hurricane on Saturday.
“Unfortunately, the system caught us a bit off guard,” Papin stated.
Earlier, Tropical Storm Nadine formed off the southern Caribbean coast of Mexico, but it weakened into a tropical depression as it moved over land.
