Security Alert – U.S. Embassy Havana, Cuba March 16, 2026

Location: Cuba

Event: Nationwide Power Outage including Havana

At 1:54 p.m. local time, there was a disconnection of the national electrical grid resulting in a complete power outage across Cuba which includes the Havana metropolitan area.  There is no information about when power will be restored.

Cuba’s national electrical grid is increasingly unstable and prolonged scheduled and unscheduled power outages are a daily occurrence across the country to include Havana.  Outages affect water supply, lighting, refrigeration, and communications.  Take precautions by conserving fuel, water, food, and mobile phone charge, and be prepared for significant disruption.

Actions to take:

• Review daily updates published by UNE (Unión Eléctrica)    and follow UNE’s social media accounts.
• Monitor Radio Reloj 101.5 FM and local media for updates.

• Stay in touch with family and friends.
• Prepare for prolonged power outages by:
• Keeping mobile phones and portable battery banks charged
• Having flashlights and spare batteries in a location easy to access
• Stocking up on nonperishable food and water
• Preparing for alternative methods of meeting your medical needs (medical devices requiring power, medicines requiring refrigeration, etc.)

Enroll in step.state.gov   to receive updates from the Embassy.

Assistance:

• U.S. Embassy Havana, Cuba
  Phone number: +(53) (7) 839-4100; after hours dial 1, then 0
  U.S. Citizens: acshavana@state.gov
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  Subscribe to the ‘U.S. Citizen Consular Information: Cuba’s WhatsApp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBWEpNCsU9TsOaCjm3K 
• State Department – Consular Affairs phone number: +1-888-407-4747 or +1-202-501-4444
• Cuba Country Information  
• Enroll in the SMART Traveler Enrollment Program  (STEP) to receive security updates.
• Follow us on Facebook , Instagram , and X