Severe Hailstorm Strikes Camagüey: Topples Trees and Leaves Hospitals Powerless

A powerful local severe storm, bringing heavy rain, gusty winds, lightning, and hail, pummeled the city of Camagüey on Thursday afternoon. The storm caused significant material damage and power outages that even affected the special circuits supplying electricity to the Provincial Hospital and the Oncological Hospital in the city.

Independent journalist José L. Tan Estrada reported on the situation through his project #TanteandoCuba on Facebook, stating, "Severe storm in #Camagüey. The special circuits supplying the Provincial and Oncological Hospitals are without power."

Earlier, at 3:15 p.m., amateur meteorologist Yosmelvi Páez Cornell had warned in the Facebook group El Tiempo en Camagüey about the development of the storm. "Severe storms are currently affecting areas within the city of Camagüey; reports indicate strong gusty winds, lightning, and heavy rain," he wrote.

Satellite images from GOES-19 at 19:05 UTC confirmed intense convective activity over the city, with 47 lightning strikes detected by the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM).

Later, Páez Cornell explained that a broad circulation associated with an upper-level low was promoting the formation of severe storms across much of the country. "A broad circulation from an upper-level low is impacting all of Cuba, with its main center near the eastern coast. This afternoon has triggered bursts of showers, rain, and thunderstorms that have become severe in several provinces," he noted.

At 20:45 UTC, a new satellite image recorded 3,983 lightning strikes in the region, with the weather system identified as "Cold Low B" over Cuba. In addition to power outages, the storm caused material damage in various parts of the city. Facebook user Aniuska Martínez shared images of trees and branches downed by the force of the wind, as well as an avocado tree split in half by the storm.

The power outage at both hospitals comes at an especially critical time for the country. Just two days earlier, Cuba experienced its third nationwide blackout of 2026 and the seventh total collapse of the National Electric System in the past 18 months.

On Thursday, the Electric Union reported an availability of only 935 megawatts compared to a demand of around 3,100 MW, resulting in a deficit of 2,195 MW, just a day after reaching a historic record of 2,341 MW.

Although circuits supplying hospital facilities are usually the last to be disconnected during scheduled outages, the storm also knocked out these lines, highlighting the vulnerability of the electrical infrastructure amid the country's ongoing crisis.

The two affected medical centers were already facing serious challenges. So far in 2026, the Provincial Hospital Manuel Ascunce Domenech has been subject to complaints about infrastructure problems, water shortages, and the suspension of dialysis treatments. The Oncological Hospital, meanwhile, has had essential equipment for radioactive iodine treatments out of order for years, impacting care for cancer patients.

This is not the first time a weather event has compromised healthcare in the province. In September 2025, another severe storm flooded the Amalia Simoni Hospital, forcing medical staff to work in waterlogged corridors illuminated only by flashlights and mobile phones.