Hurricane Melissa is forecast to hit Cuba Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning as a major hurricane, possibly Category 5, meteorologist Alexey Moreno Borges explained during the Sunday meeting of the Defense Council. Given the serious threat, authorities in Las Tunas have activated all protective measures for the population and vital services.
Las Tunas, Cuba.– The president of the Provincial Defense Council, Osbel Lorenzo Rodríguez, reported that 72,000 residents must seek protection in 133 evacuation centers and the homes of family and friends. The protective measure is mandatory for patients with special needs, pregnant women, and the elderly. “Ahead of Hurricane Melissa, we all have to be vigilant and take the necessary measures. No one can be careless,” he said.
Yelenis Tornet Menéndez, vice president of the command body, explained that they are monitoring the dams in the north of the territory, which are above 75 percent of their capacity. Fuel has been secured for the generators at hospitals and vital entities, as well as food supplies for shelters. "Today we checked the availability of all evacuation centers to declare them ready," she stated.
For her part, Karen González Velázquez, head of the political-ideological subgroup, explained that homeless people have been protected in shelters. On Sunday, the president of the Provincial Defense Council also checked on the cleaning of ditches and the collection of solid waste, with another intensive workday scheduled for this Monday in the provincial capital.
ATTENTION TO LOCALITIES AND RISK PERCEPTION
In Jobabo, the Municipal Defense Council confirmed the protection of pregnant and postpartum women at the local hospital. Meanwhile, in Puerto Padre, the evacuation of residents from coastal areas such as Pozo Prieto and La Boca is underway.
Visits to rural communities such as San Antonio and Sirvén allowed the authorities to check compliance with the instructions. However, a lack of risk perception or overconfidence was identified as a latent weakness. In San Antonio, actions were defined to restore electricity to an area affected for 72 hours.
The Provincial Meteorological Center warned that winds of up to 90 kilometers per hour and accumulated rainfall between 50 and 100 millimeters are forecast for Las Tunas. Special attention should be paid to the rains in Holguín, with up to 500 millimeters forecast, which will drain toward the Juan Sáez dam.
At the same time, the Ministry of Transportation suspended rail, national bus (including Viazul), and air services to and from the eastern provinces, starting this Monday, October 27. The restoration will depend on the declaration of the recovery phase and verification of safety conditions.
During the expanded National Defense Council, President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez emphasized the need to test public warning systems, maintain constant communication, and protect people, their belongings, and pets. "The provinces have worked with complete responsibility (...) and the participation of our people, we will confront this situation and once again emerge victorious," he stated.