An early-morning storm flooded streets across Aruba and knocked out power in several districts on Sunday 8 November 2026. ELMAR, the island’s electricity distributor, blamed lightning strikes on high-voltage lines for the outages.
Aruba is a Dutch Caribbean island and a self-governing country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The worst flooding hit San Nicolas, a town on the island, according to Aruba’s police.
Aruba is a Caribbean holiday island, so visitors should watch hotel and airline notices. We found no report of any effect on flights, hotels or cruise calls.
What Happened
Heavy thunderstorms and rain reached Aruba early on Sunday morning. Many areas flooded, and San Nicolas took the worst of it, according to the police.
Police asked drivers to avoid the area around Pastoor Hendrickstraat, Zeewijk, Bernhardstraat, Savaneta and the area behind Pos Chikito, a locality on the island. These are streets and neighbourhoods of Aruba, and we do not know which roads, if any, were closed.
Another recent Caribbean weather story is in our report on Puerto Rico flood alerts. Hurricane watchers can also read our Atlantic season update.
How the Power Grid Was Hit
ELMAR, Aruba’s electricity distributor, said lightning struck high-voltage lines in several places. It reported the first outages at about 6:49 a.m. Aruba time (UTC−4).
Those first outages hit Savaneta and Cura Cabay, both districts of Aruba. Later outages reached Rooi Afo and part of Dakota, also districts of the island.
ELMAR said its crews had to wait for safe conditions before working on the lines. We could not confirm when power returned to every district.
Cactus scrub in Arikok National Park, Aruba’s protected nature reserve. File photo. Photo: EgorovaSvetlana / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)What It Means for You
Aruba is a Caribbean holiday island, so the storm matters to anyone with a trip booked. Travellers should check hotel and airline notices for their own bookings.
Police have asked drivers to avoid several areas. Travellers should also watch ELMAR’s updates for the area where they are staying.
What Is Not Known
We do not know how much rain fell in millimetres, or how many customers or homes lost power. The cost of the damage is also unknown.
We do not know when power fully returned everywhere, as the ELMAR updates we could confirm stop in late morning. We also do not know which roads are closed, and we found no report of injuries.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in Aruba on 8 November 2026?
Heavy thunderstorms and rain hit Aruba early on Sunday and flooded many areas. San Nicolas was the worst hit, and ELMAR blamed lightning strikes on high-voltage lines for the power outages.
Where did the power outages happen in Aruba?
ELMAR, the island’s electricity distributor, reported the first outages at about 6:49 a.m. in Savaneta and Cura Cabay. Later outages hit Rooi Afo and part of Dakota.
Is the Aruba storm affecting flights or hotels?
We found no report of any effect on flights, hotels or cruise calls. Travellers should still check hotel and airline notices for their own bookings.
Aruba’s police; ELMAR, Aruba’s electricity distributor. Read on 8 November 2026.