As Hurricane Oscar battered the eastern end of Cuba with heavy rains and winds reaching up to 75 mph, the country faces an escalating crisis, having already suffered a widespread power cut. The downpour has triggered landslides and torn roofs from homes, complicating efforts for engineers working tirelessly to restore Cuba’s electricity grid, which failed this past weekend, plunging nearly 10 million residents into darkness.

“It’s been really intense,” a resident from the eastern city of Baracoa shared. “The winds are dangerous, and my roof has lost several tiles.”

As Oscar has weakened into a tropical storm and shifted north towards the Bahamas, attention has turned toward the chronic issues plaguing Cuba’s outdated electrical infrastructure. The recent blackouts have caused significant distress for citizens, particularly in a country grappling with soaring inflation, where spoiled food has become a pressing concern.

Amid this turmoil, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel appeared in military garb, typically reserved for national emergencies, underscoring the gravity of the situation. The crisis escalated when non-essential government employees were sent home last week in a desperate bid to conserve power, and news soon followed that schools would remain closed until Thursday—a rare occurrence on the island, which emphasizes education.

By Monday, power was gradually being restored across central Havana, with reports indicating that 56% of the city was back online by lunchtime. However, regions hit hardest by the storm, particularly in the eastern areas and Pinar del Río, remained without electricity.

In Havana, residents expressed skepticism about the reliability of the aging power system, with some voicing their frustrations about the government’s reliance on social media for updates instead of traditional radio broadcasts, particularly in a time when many phones are dying due to lack of charging.

Reflecting on past unrest, it’s important to note that blackouts in July 2021 led to significant street protests. This time, although discontent is still present, it appears more subdued, with residents in various neighborhoods opting to make noise with pots instead.

Díaz-Canel has placed the blame for Cuba’s ongoing struggles on the United States, pointing to what he termed a “financial war” against the island. He directed his comments towards online activists in Miami, cautioning against any provocations that could disturb the civil peace of the Cuban people. “We will not allow anyone to act by provoking acts of vandalism and much less by disturbing the civil tranquility of our people,” he asserted on Monday.