Hurricane Oscar Downgraded to Tropical Storm After Making Landfall in Cuba

HAVANA — Oscar has weakened to a tropical storm after making landfall Sunday in eastern Cuba.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Oscar had 70 mph (110 kph) winds late Sunday and was 40 miles (65 kilometers) east of Guantanamo. It was moving west-northwest at 6 mph (10 kph).

Oscar was a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph) when it made landfall in Guantanamo province, near the city of Baracoa, on Sunday evening.

The storm was forecast to weaken further as it moves north of Cuba late Monday and toward the southeastern and central Bahamas.

Rain and some flooding has been reported in low-lying areas of Cuba’s eastern provinces. Cuban media reported high swells on the coast and some damage to buildings in Baracoa.

The storm’s center late Sunday was located about 20 miles ( kilometers) west of the eastern tip of Cuba and about 45 miles (75 kilometers) east of Guantanamo. It was heading west-southwest at 6 mph (9 kph).

Oscar made landfall on Great Inagua island in the Bahamas earlier Sunday. It was expected to produce a dangerous storm surge that could translate into significant coastal flooding there and in other areas of the southeastern Bahamas. Two to four inches (5.1 to 10.2 centimeters) of rainfall were expected, with isolated areas seeing up to 6 inches (15.2 centimeters).

The hurricane's arrival comes as Cuba tries to recover from its worst blackout in at least two years, which left millions without power for two days last week. Some electrical service was restored Saturday.

Philippe Papin of the National Hurricane Center said it was somewhat unexpected that Oscar became a hurricane Saturday.

“Unfortunately the system kind of snuck up a little bit on us,” Papin said.

Hours earlier Tropical Storm Nadine formed off Mexico’s southern Caribbean coast. It degenerated into a tropical depression as it moved over land.