Posted on Sat, Oct. 22, 2005
CUBA
Wrath of Wilma felt along Cuba's western region
BY FRANCES ROBLES
froblese@herald.com
The western end of Cuba got doused by Hurricane Wilma Friday, just days after the eastern end of the island saw hundreds of homes damaged by heavy rains.
Waves 18 feet high were reported at the Isle of Youth, and a twister born from Wilma knocked the roofs off seven homes in Cortés, state media reported.
Heavy rains already damaged hundreds of homes earlier in the week. In Guantánamo, 892 homes were damaged and in Sancti Spiritus, 433.
Twenty of those were destroyed.
In western Cuba, nearly 370,000 people were evacuated, in a country that prides itself on efficient disaster planning that usually prevents loss of life. Some 250,000 of those fled high-risk areas, Cuban TV reported.
Authorities warned the 15,000 Cubans staying at shelters to expect to stay a while -- the storm was moving slowly, and nobody would be allowed back until the skies cleared.
''We thought we'd be spending a lot less time here,'' María Elena Torre told the Associated Press at a shelter set up inside a boarding school outside the western provincial capital of Pinar del Río. ``Now we have no idea how long we'll be here.''
According to the Guerrillero newspaper in western Cuba, two inches of rain fell in just a few hours Friday afternoon.
Gusts of wind reached 50 miles an hour at Cabo de San Antonio Friday morning.
The storm left Cubans glued to their TV sets watching meteorologist José Rubiera, who has become a familiar face during this time of non-stop storms.
''We have to be cautious,'' Rubiera told viewers.
He warned of a peculiar slow-moving storm that was likely to stick around until Sunday, putting Cuba in particular danger when it makes its projected eastern curve.
The storm was the topic of Thursday night's Round Table televised discussion, where government officials proudly reiterated the plans being made to save lives and avoid damages.
Cuba readied 969 shelters, among them 414 schools, and more than 66,000 people formed local and regional brigades to prepare the nation for the worst, the state news agency AIN said.
Special attention was being paid to tobacco crops in Pinar del Río, but farmers said the plants are young and unlikely to suffer much damage.
The Spanish news agency EFE reported that Fidel Castro's brother Raúl put the armed forces, civil defense, and the interior ministry on notice: There are to be no deaths this time around.
Seventeen people died during Hurricane Dennis in July, a surprising number of fatalities in a nation where mandatory evacuation generally has full compliance.
''Don't worry, Cuba has no problems,'' said Marina, a resident of Pinar del Río reached by phone, who reported no serious effects from the storm. ``Cuba doesn't have any problems with anybody.''
Herald Chief of Correspondents Juan O. Tamayo contributed to this report.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/world/cuba/12971642.htm
CUBA
Wrath of Wilma felt along Cuba's western region
BY FRANCES ROBLES
froblese@herald.com
The western end of Cuba got doused by Hurricane Wilma Friday, just days after the eastern end of the island saw hundreds of homes damaged by heavy rains.
Waves 18 feet high were reported at the Isle of Youth, and a twister born from Wilma knocked the roofs off seven homes in Cortés, state media reported.
Heavy rains already damaged hundreds of homes earlier in the week. In Guantánamo, 892 homes were damaged and in Sancti Spiritus, 433.
Twenty of those were destroyed.
In western Cuba, nearly 370,000 people were evacuated, in a country that prides itself on efficient disaster planning that usually prevents loss of life. Some 250,000 of those fled high-risk areas, Cuban TV reported.
Authorities warned the 15,000 Cubans staying at shelters to expect to stay a while -- the storm was moving slowly, and nobody would be allowed back until the skies cleared.
''We thought we'd be spending a lot less time here,'' María Elena Torre told the Associated Press at a shelter set up inside a boarding school outside the western provincial capital of Pinar del Río. ``Now we have no idea how long we'll be here.''
According to the Guerrillero newspaper in western Cuba, two inches of rain fell in just a few hours Friday afternoon.
Gusts of wind reached 50 miles an hour at Cabo de San Antonio Friday morning.
The storm left Cubans glued to their TV sets watching meteorologist José Rubiera, who has become a familiar face during this time of non-stop storms.
''We have to be cautious,'' Rubiera told viewers.
He warned of a peculiar slow-moving storm that was likely to stick around until Sunday, putting Cuba in particular danger when it makes its projected eastern curve.
The storm was the topic of Thursday night's Round Table televised discussion, where government officials proudly reiterated the plans being made to save lives and avoid damages.
Cuba readied 969 shelters, among them 414 schools, and more than 66,000 people formed local and regional brigades to prepare the nation for the worst, the state news agency AIN said.
Special attention was being paid to tobacco crops in Pinar del Río, but farmers said the plants are young and unlikely to suffer much damage.
The Spanish news agency EFE reported that Fidel Castro's brother Raúl put the armed forces, civil defense, and the interior ministry on notice: There are to be no deaths this time around.
Seventeen people died during Hurricane Dennis in July, a surprising number of fatalities in a nation where mandatory evacuation generally has full compliance.
''Don't worry, Cuba has no problems,'' said Marina, a resident of Pinar del Río reached by phone, who reported no serious effects from the storm. ``Cuba doesn't have any problems with anybody.''
Herald Chief of Correspondents Juan O. Tamayo contributed to this report.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/world/cuba/12971642.htm
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