Flooding and Landslides in Eastern Cuba Following Powerful Hurricane Melissa

Hurricane Melissa, a Category 3 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale, is causing flooding, river overflows, and landslides in the eastern part of the island, according to preliminary official reports and social media.

The First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC, the only legal party) in Santiago de Cuba, Beatriz Johnson, reported on Facebook about rescue efforts for a group of 17 relatives, including "children and elderly," who were trapped in a house in the town of El Cobre. "Our priority is people's lives," stated Johnson, who indicated that more rescue teams are working throughout the province.

Within the city of Santiago de Cuba, the island's second most populous municipality, flooding is being reported in multiple areas, including Avenida Patria, the Plaza de la Revolución, an oil factory, and Avenida de las Américas, according to various sources.

Johnson also noted that flooding from the intense rains is being reported in other towns within the province, such as Segundo Frente, San Luis, and Los Negros.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has called for responsibility and caution from the population, warning that "this will be a very difficult night" for the entire country.

According to Cuba's Meteorological Institute (Insmet), Melissa is crossing eastern Cuba from south to north with maximum sustained winds of 193 kilometers per hour (120 mph) and is producing intense rainfall, which could reach accumulated totals of 450 millimeters (18 inches) in some areas. The hurricane made landfall near the municipality of Chivirico at 3:10 AM local time and is currently moving at about 35 kilometers per hour.

After spending between six and eight hours over land, forecasts estimate Melissa will emerge into the sea near the municipality of Banes, though its effects will continue to be felt in Cuba for another eight to ten hours.

Evacuations

In the six provinces under a cyclone alert (Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, Holguín, Las Tunas, and Camagüey), 735,000 people have been evacuated or protected, the majority in the homes of relatives and friends, with some also in shelters. This figure represents over 7.5% of the national population and nearly 18% of the inhabitants of those six provinces.

Furthermore, all ground, maritime, and air public transport has been paralyzed across the eastern region; academic activities have been suspended; and state infrastructure and crops have been secured.

Two of the country's seven thermoelectric plants, the backbone of the National Electric System (SEN), have already been shut down for safety reasons, as they are in Melissa's path and there are concerns they could sustain damage. It is important to note these are obsolete infrastructures with a chronic deficit of investment.

Melissa crossed Jamaica on Tuesday as a Category 5 hurricane, causing severe damage to infrastructure, leaving more than 530,000 people without power, and isolating several communities due to damaged roads.