The impact of the powerful Hurricane Melissa in eastern Cuba left 1,318 total housing collapses, among other damages, according to a preliminary report released this Friday by the Ministry of Construction (Micons).
So far, 16,464 homes have been reported affected; of them, 1,142 with partial damage, according to the director of the Micons Project Front, Ricardo Guardia, on Cuban television and cited by EFE.
He also added that in the initial inventory of the damage to housing, the loss of 5,279 roofs has been recorded – completely – and another 8,666 with partial destruction, the report states.
The official stated that “all cases will be attended to” and explained that the sale of materials for the reconstruction of the affected properties will be enabled.
To this end, he said that the production of roofing tiles was activated and that 1,000 tons of cement will be allocated.
Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Cuba early Wednesday morning as a category 3 (out of 5) on the Saffir-Simpson scale and crossed its eastern end for about seven hours with winds of up to 200 kilometers per hour, intense rains and a severe storm surge.
Its direct scourge affected the provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Granma, Holguín, Las Tunas and Guantánamo, where due to the damage, electrical services have not yet been recovered in a good part of the territories.
In addition, damage to telecommunications, breaks in roads and bridges were listed, as well as isolated communities persisting due to flooding due to rising rivers.
Until now, the Cuban Government has not offered an assessment of the damage caused by Melissa’s blow, while the official media has been reporting the multiple effects on public infrastructure, agriculture and the rescues of people who were trapped in flooded areas.
