Havana/Melissa has already become a category 1 hurricane, as reported this Saturday by the US National Hurricane Center. The General Staff of the Civil Defense in Cuba established the Alert phase from 3:00 p.m. for the provinces of Guantánamo, Santiago de Cuba, Granma, Holguín, Las Tunas and Camagüey, and the Information Phase for the provinces of Ciego de Ávila and Sancti Spíritus.
The center of Melissa was this afternoon about 230 kilometers southeast of Kingston and about 380 kilometers southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, with sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour and moving slowly toward the west-northwest at about 2 kilometers per hour, according to the most recent report from the Miami-based center.
The forecasts also indicate that it will hit Cuban territory in the coming days, probably on Wednesday. The havoc in its path so far allows us to foresee the extent of its fury. In Haiti and the Dominican Republic, three deaths have already been reported due to floods and landslides, as well as extensive material damage.
Inside the base, events planned for the weekend have already been canceled
Given the growing proximity of Melissa, United States ordered the evacuation of the majority of its non-essential citizens from the Guantánamo naval base. The authorities of the enclave reported that those who are not essential must leave the island between Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning at the latest.
The instruction included preparing belongings, having clothing and medications for at least two weeks, allowing only one 40-pound suitcase and one carry-on item per person, and closing outdoor spaces such as the marina, sports fields, swimming pools and the golf course. Inside the base, events planned for the weekend have already been cancelled. With this measure, the United States recognizes the seriousness of what may come.
The authorities of the province of Guantánamo have assured the local telecenter that in the territory 108,000 people will be evacuated in the homes of relatives and acquaintances, while some 36,000 will be protected in school centers set up for that purpose.
The hurricane is moving close to the west-northwest, but in the next few hours it is expected to slightly tilt its path towards the northeast while gaining organization and intensity. Its slowness prolongs its influence over the same territory, which aggravates the risk of persistent flooding, soil saturation and drainage collapse.
In a recent article of Cubadebate A markedly institutional vision of the actions undertaken in the face of the hurricane’s advance is offered. In Holguín, the Provincial Defense Council emphasizes the need to “preserve life” and minimize damage to the local economy. They affirm that they have verified shelters, that they clean drains and that they guarantee the protection of agricultural and energy resources. However, they do not address with the same clarity the real capacity of these structures to respond in a context of material precariousness and accumulated institutional fatigue.
Disaster preparation, more than a structural process, depends on cyclical reactions
This newspaper contacted several residents in the province of Holguín to verify the situation in that territory. “I don’t see too many preparations,” comments a resident of the main municipality. “You can see it in the local press. Before, the radio did not stop giving information about evacuations and movements. I don’t see that impetus now,” he adds.
in newspaper Now!official organ of the Communist Party in the province, they announce that the Holguín Business Group has implemented preventive measures in the face of the proximity of Tropical Storm Melissa. The supply to the population and the family care system of economically processed and semi-processed products is guaranteed, including soups, rice and boiled vegetables or croquettes. But users on social networks report that these same products should have arrived “a long time ago” at the warehouses, which remain empty.
In Santiago de Cuba and Granma, the article Cubadebate highlights the efforts of the agricultural and energy sectors to protect crops, livestock and photovoltaic solar parks. Although the tone is one of efficiency and commitment, the lack of experience of the workers, the scarcity of resources and the urgency of improvised measures emerge between the lines. The emphasis on “accelerated training” and the “mobilization of workers from other sectors” shows that disaster preparedness, more than a structural process, depends on conjunctural reactions.
Melissa is no longer just a hypothetical threat. Its passage has left damage and human losses before reaching its maximum peak. In its new status as a category one hurricane, with the United States evacuating its Guantánamo base as a preventive act, the shadow of destruction is projected over eastern Cuba.
