Hurricane Oscar reaches Cuba; not expected to head toward U.S.

Hurricane Oscar made landfall early Sunday in the southeastern Bahamas and advanced slowly across eastern Cuba early Monday after making landfall as a Category 1 hurricane on the island already beleaguered by a massive power outage.

Its maximum sustained winds were blowing at 60 mph early Monday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

Oscar made landfall in the eastern province of Guantanamo, near the city of Baracoa, on Sunday evening with winds of 75 mph.

Rain and flooding in low-lying areas were reported in eastern provinces. 

The storm is expected to move across the island into Monday and approach the central Bahamas on Tuesday, U.S. forecasters said. Oscar is not expected to move toward the United States, but will instead head north and east into the Atlantic.

Cuba suffered an islandwide power blackout Friday. Some electrical service was restored Saturday, but most residents remain without power. The country’s energy minister expressed hope the grid could be restored Monday or Tuesday.