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Te ha afectado el hurac n Ian? The thrashing of Cuba by Hurricane Ian has left at least two people dead and the entire island without power.
Both deaths occurred in the hard-hit western province of Pinar del Rio, where a woman died after a wall collapsed on her and a man died after his roof fell on him, state media said.
On Wednesday, crews rushed to restore power to millions of Cubans who lost electricity as Ian battered the western region with fierce winds and treacherous storm surge.
Ian made landfall in the Pinar del Rio province early Tuesday as a Category 3 storm southwest of La Coloma.
The hurricane was forecast to dump up to 16 inches of rain and cause mudslides and flash flooding in the western region, prompting evacuation orders for thousands of residents.
The Pinar del Rio town of San Juan y Martinez was left with fields inundated by floodwater and uprooted trees, according to images from the state media outlet Cubadebate.
Pinar del Rio, known for growing Cuba's rich tobacco, also suffered from downed fences and destruction at the Robaina tobacco farm, according to photos posted by state media.
The state-owned National Electric System shut off power in the capital Havana to avoid electrocutions, deaths and property damage until the weather improves. The nationwide blackouts were not planned because of the storm.
An economic crisis has gripped Cuba, leading to shortages of food, fuel and medicine. Blackouts across the island have been regular throughout the summer, which has resulted in rare protests against the government.
More than 38,000 residents were evacuated from their homes in Pinar del Rio province because of the life-threatening conditions Hurricane Ian inflicted on Cuba, according to the state news channel TelePinar.
Adriana Rivera, who lives in Spain, told CNN she hadn't been able to contact her family living in Pinar del Rio since Tuesday morning.
They didn't expect the hurricane to be this strong. Rivera said something. The last time Rivera spoke to her family including her mother, sister, cousin and nephews, they told her they would seek shelter on the second floor of their home because the first floor was flooding. One of her nephews also recorded videos of the family's flooded home.
Mayelin Suarez, a resident of Pinar del Rio, told Reuters the storm made for the darkest night of her life.
The roof of the house was almost lost, Suarez said. My daughter, my husband, and I tied it down with a rope to keep it from flying away.