Hurricane Ian ripped through western Cuba, over the province of Pinar del Rio, during the night of 26SEP. Its category 3 force winds caused damage as it proceeded on its path towards the U.S.
Ahead of the storm, Cuba evacuated tourists on Sunday from the Isla de la Juventud, off the island's southwestern coast, as well as workers from nearby Cayo Largo, one of the country's top tourist destinations, reported Reuters.
Media reports also say the island experienced a country-wide power outage as a result of Hurrican Ian. Power in parts of the eastern portion of the country was restored as of the afternoon of Wednesday, 28SEP, according to Bloomberg. Efforts are continuing to bring back power in the areas closer to Havana.
In a statement provided to Open Jaw by the Cuba Tourist Board in Canada, Director Lessner Gomez said no resorts were forced to close by the hurricane and none of the popular hotel zones was affected. He reassured Canada’s travel trade that all airports are open and the country is “fully operational.”
Gomez emphasized that hotel infrastructure was not affected by the hurricane. “We want to reassure Canadians that the hotels are open 100 per cent with no damages,” he said in the statement. “The hotels have their own generators, and they are operating normally.”
