It is still impossible to give a total account of the damage because of isolated communities
14ymedio/EFE, Havana, October 22, 2024 — The northeastern end of Cuba is experiencing a dramatic situation one day after the passage of Hurricane Oscar, which left at least seven dead and much material damage. Baracoa, for example, remains incommunicado. According to the report on national television this Tuesday, the linemen mobilized from other provinces could not arrive: the La Farola viaduct is closed to the passage of vehicles due to landslides caused by the rains.
In the same report, they pointed out that the salt field of San Antonio del Sur, the most affected community, was totally damaged. In addition, 200 hectares of tomato plantations were lost. Throughout the territory, damage was reported in “almost 50% of the banana plantations,” and in the coffee plantations.
Early Tuesday, the official press reported that there are 6,000 people affected – about 4,000 “family nuclei” – mainly by the floods, which have caused river overflows and sea penetrations in low coastal areas.
In the last 48 hours, the province has recorded accumulated rain of more than two feet in some points, according to data from the Institute of Meteorology.
Oscar entered Cuba as a category 1 hurricane (out of 5) on the Saffir-Simpson scale on Sunday afternoon and spent just over 24 hours on the Island, accompanied by strong winds, intense rains and high tides. It made land near Baracoa at 6:10 pm on Sunday and left Cuban territory in the vicinity of Gibara around 7:20 pm on Monday.
Civil Defense decided on Tuesday to declare the return to “normality” in the eastern provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Granma, Holguín and Las Tunas, but in Guantánamo classes will continue to be suspended at least until Thursday.
Oscar is the fifteenth hurricane of the current season in the Atlantic
Oscar is the fifteenth hurricane of the current season in the Atlantic and the first to touch land in Cuba. The meteorological services of the United States and Cuba warned months ago that this hurricane season in the Atlantic, which runs from June 1 to November 30, was going to be especially active.
The last time a big hurricane hit Cuba was in 2022, when Ian caused a collapse of the power grid similar to the one that Cuba has experienced in recent days.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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