For many victims, the hurricane will be the final blow that plunges them into misery.
14ymedio, Yoani Sánchez, Generation Y, 29 October 2025 — Hurricane Melissa could not have come at a worse time for Cuba. The island, mired in a long economic crisis, has also experienced the collapse of its energy system in recent years and, more recently, a deteriorating epidemiological situation. Early Wednesday morning, as the storm’s winds and rains struck the eastern region, it was difficult to ignore a troubling question: Will this be the final blow to an already bleak outlook?
For decades, the Cuban regime has flexed its muscles in natural disaster management. In a militarized society where every aspect of daily life is controlled, mobilizing emergency forces, evacuating people, and preparing temporary shelters has been one of the few areas where the regime has demonstrated efficiency. Dictatorships are agile in emergencies and clumsy in normal times. Fidel Castro himself used to star in weather reports when a powerful cyclone was approaching, and, clad in his boots, uniform, and raincoat, he would supervise the the labors of the Civil Defense.
But those years, when Soviet subsidies and later Venezuelan oil revenues allowed for a swift response to hurricane relief efforts, barely leave a memory. This October, preparations for Hurricane Melissa have highlighted the limited capacity of a system materially crippled and with little capacities to assist the population. Of the more than 700,000 people evacuated in eastern Cuba, the vast majority have left on their own, staying with friends, neighbors, and relatives.
In the days leading up to Melissa’s arrival, people tried to stock up on food in a country hard hit by inflation.
In the days leading up to Melissa’s arrival, people tried to stock up on food in a country hard hit by inflation. Those with access to US dollars managed to buy canned goods, powdered milk, candles, and batteries, but many Cubans in the eastern region began the week with only a few supplies. A good part of the ration stores had barely received only meager deliveries, and the prolonged power outages of the previous days hampered domestic preparations.
Added to this is the poor condition of the housing. Deteriorated by a lack of maintenance and resources, many of the houses the hurricane encountered have flimsy roofs, some kind of structural damage, and are located in areas prone to flooding and landslides. The poorest region of Cuba has been the scene of this natural disaster, which comes on top of the damage already caused by poor economic decisions and the government’s stubborn insistence on prolonging a failed model.
The damage is already becoming apparent, the losses are being tallied, and testimonies are being heard after a hellish night. It is very likely that international aid will also support those who have lost part or all of their homes and belongings. But the main problem is that Melissa arrived in a context that was already experiencing negative indicators in almost all sectors.
For many victims, the hurricane will be the final blow that plunges them into misery.
The winds will pass, the rivers will return to their courses and, surely, the authorities will try to capitalize politically on the moment, portraying themselves as the only ones capable of managing a disaster of this magnitude. But reality tends to be obstinate. Even now, in eastern Cuba, there are people who lost their homes when Sandy struck in 2012 and haven’t even been able to rebuild a portion of them. Melissa could add another layer of vulnerability and fragility to a country already on life support.
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Editor’s Note: This text was originally published on Deutsche Welle’s Latin America website.
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