Bahamas - Haiti - nature - storm - USA

600,000 evacuate as Cuba braces for Hurricane Ike

Sunday 07 September 2008

The Cuban government began mass evacuations late Sunday as Ike, labeled an "extremely dangerous" storm already responsible for at least 20 deaths in heavily flooded Haiti, looked set to barrel into the country's northeast.

Sunday 07 September 2008

By AFP (text) / France 24 (video)

Barely a week after Hurricane Gustav devastated western Cuba, the island was battening down the hatches again Sunday for another killer storm, with more than half a million people evacuating Cuba's northeast coast, officials said.

Hurricane Ike, labeled an "extremely dangerous" storm already responsible for at least 20 deaths in heavily flooded Haiti, was on course to barrel into Cuba's northeastern flank Sunday night, and authorities were leaving little to chance.

In Camaguey province 225,000 residents evacuated, 150,000 were mobilized in Santiago de Cuba and 108,000 in Holguin, while 120,000 people -- including 13,000 tourists -- took shelter in the western province of Matanzas, near the capital Havana.

Another 16,000 people evacuated their homes in Guantanamo province, site of a major US Naval base, authorities said, as Ike's outer rain bands began to lash the eastern coast.

The communist government's internationally recognized storm-preparedness was in full effect Sunday as medical equipment, food and potable water were mobilized, fuel and power generators prepared and homes secured across the country.

Vice President Jose Ramon Machado, meeting with authorities in Holguin, urged people to "carry out the evacuation in an orderly and speedy fashion," and to take steps to "avoid the loss of life."

Ike is raging into the Caribbean from the Atlantic as a Category Four storm on the five-level Saffir-Simpson scale, with sustained winds of 215 kilometers (135 miles) per hour.

Ike "is a danger for all of Cuba's national territory," warned forecaster Jose Rubiera. Cuba's population tops 11 million.

At 1800 GMT Sunday the center of the storm was 155 kilometers (90 miles) east of Guantanamo, Cuba, the US National Hurricane Center reported.

"Eastern and central Cuba could see six to 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters) of rain with isolated maximum amounts of up to 20 inches (50 centimeters) possible," the center said.

The hurricane also threatens Havana, whose population of 2.2 million has been put on alert. Residents were stocking up on food, fuel and other supplies.

In Cuba, a fragile and aging housing stock is highly vulnerable to hurricanes. Havana in particular has many colonial-era buildings, crowded with families and prone to cave-ins.

A week ago Gustav crashed across western Cuba leaving widespread destruction of homes, businesses and schools. There were no known casualities but some 140,000 homes were seriously damaged or destroyed, authorities said.

Bahamas - Haiti - nature - storm - USA

[8] reactions :

15/09/2008 18:26:21 Alert a moderator

every thing come worse and worse

By abu ezoom - uae

If just america agree to sign in enviromental agreement we will be just fine , most of these come from america bcuz they refuse not to use farreoons and another things
http://howarabsthink.blogspot.com/
15/09/2008 18:25:59 Alert a moderator

every thing come worse and worse

By abu ezoom - uae

If just america agree to sign in enviromental agreement we will be just fine , most of these come from america bcuz they refuse not to use farreoons and another things
13/09/2008 15:31:00 Alert a moderator

HELPING CUBA

By Rob and Heather -

We would like to go to Cuba this fall and winter to volunteer to help the Cubans, we love these people, we have spent many holidays in this beautiful country, and feel it is our duty to help them
My husband is a senior construction project manager specializing in development of housing, hotels, and highrise buildings.
13/09/2008 02:04:32 Alert a moderator

the weather turned ugly

By abdel - houston/tx

enough guys with haiti and cuba. now let's focus on h-town. over 4 million inhabitants, we have a lot of homelesses and the houses down here are built, most of'em, out of wood. so if this hurricane is a cat 3 or 4, then my friends we are screwed. so screwed.
and just so you know, i'll blame Bush for that
10/09/2008 18:26:04 Alert a moderator

IKE HITS CUBA

By Ernesto Gonzalez - USA, FL.

SO SAD TO SEE THIS HAPPEN BUT WITH FUTURE HOPES THAT THE COUNTRY WILL OPEN UP ITS DOORS TO THE WORLD. IT WOULD BE A DREAM TO BE ABLE TO HELP THIS COUNTRY IN PERSON OR IN MY LIFETIME. I HAVE NO EXPERIENCE TO WHAT THIS COUNTRYY IS OTHER THAN THE MEMORIES OF MY FATHER.
10/09/2008 01:20:59 Alert a moderator

HURRICANES VS POLITICS

By DANIEL MARTIN - USA/FLORIDA/HOLLYWOOD

How shocking to see Nature destroy theinvencibity aureola of the Castro brothers
Are they going to blame the hurricanes on CIA and Yankee imperialism as usual OR is my people going to wake up and realize they were born free to accept help in time of need from whoever that brings it?
Hope this hurricanes finish the yoke of the Castor brothers on the Cuban people! We can not continue suffering eternally ! PARDIEZ!
07/09/2008 10:41:24 Alert a moderator

re cuba

By Anonyme joseph walker - sherborne dorset uk

Cuba,well american foriegn policy,and its blind ignorant following of the western goverments,probably when the west gets educated ,other countries may want to get democratic like the west.this is the 21st century .politics changed in other countries years ago ,but not the west its ignorance.no wonder the chinese influence is gaining around the world.they dont dictate .
07/09/2008 09:11:17 Alert a moderator

Rejection of assistance through international NGO

By Anonyme - USA

Why does Cuba reject US offer of assistance through international agencies? I would think that they would want any help they can get. I want to see after Ike plows through.