Hurricane Rafael causes extensive damage to Cuba’s western provinces

11 November 2024

A second hurricane in three weeks to hit Cuba has caused what government described as “major damage” to the three western provinces of Artemisa, Mayabeque and Havana. Tens of thousands of Cubans had earlier been evacuated along with visitors from the most at-risk areas, and education and transport was suspended.

Hurricane Rafael came ashore on Wednesday 6 November on the southern coast of Artemisa bringing storm force winds of 185 kmph (115mph) and rainfall of up to 200 mm (8 inches), crossing the island from south to north in less than two hours. In the days following, strong sea surges affected Cuba’s coasts causing moderate to severe coastal flooding.

Just seventeen days earlier, on 20 October Hurricane Oscar, had crossed Cuba’s northeastern end causing severe damage to the province of Guantanamo and to parts of Holguin, leaving eight dead, 12,000 homes damaged and 13,000 hectares of crops damaged. (See Cuba Briefing 21 and 28 October 2024)

The arrival of Hurricane Rafael, a category three storm caused a nationwide shutdown of Cuba’s just recovering ailing power generation and distribution system, resulting in the second such blackout in a matter of weeks.

Highlights in this issue: 

  • Hurricane prematurely ends FIHAV 2024
  • Re-election of former President Trump yet to be commented on
  • Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister arrives in Havana to discuss closer economic relationship
  • Panasonic reported to have halted ties with its supplier of Cuban cobalt
  • Vietnamese company Thai Binh to increase solar power involvement in Cuba

In the days following Rafael, President Díaz-Canel  accompanied by the Secretary of Organisation of the Cuban  Communist Party, Roberto Morales, visited sites in Havana, Artemis and Mayabeque to assess and emphasise the importance of making rapid progress on restoring water distribution, the clearing of roads, and the inspection of electrical transmission lines in preparation for resynchronisation of the grid.

Addressing a meeting of the National Defense Council shortly after the hurricane had left Cuba’s shores, Cuba’s President stressed the need to evaluate the damage to enable proper management of the recovery and resources with priority given to recovery measures in the three provinces most affected. “A new recovery process is already beginning,” he said, referring to Hurricane Oscar.

11 November 2024, Issue 1256 

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