A mother and her baby were rescued from a house whose roof collapsed in Havana during the onslaught of Hurricane Rafael

A Cuban mother and her four-month-old baby were successfully rescued late Wednesday night in the Havana municipality of La Lisa after the roof of their home collapsed during Hurricane Rafael.

The incident—which took place in the Mercerón neighborhood—was reported on social media by Roilán Rodríguez, who mentioned that to reach the location, they had to clear away fallen palms and trees that were obstructing the road, in addition to dealing with the continuous rain.

The source indicated that those who approached to assist the woman and the child saw broken wires and many branches along 51st Avenue and leading up to the University of Computer Sciences (UCI).

Rodríguez stated that the mother and her baby took shelter in a small space within their home after the roof collapsed due to the strong winds.

The woman stated that she did not consider evacuation because the structure of the house seemed safe enough.

Despite the adverse conditions, assistance arrived on time.

Although to a lesser extent than in Artemisa, which was the most affected province, Hurricane Rafael also left a trail of destruction as it passed through Havana, impacting numerous urban areas of the capital.

The heavy rainfall and intense winds, reaching speeds of up to 185 km/h, caused severe flooding in neighborhoods situated in low-lying areas, structural collapses of poorly maintained buildings, and forced the evacuation of thousands of people.

Additionally, the winds from Rafael uprooted large trees and swept away the roofs of numerous homes and state entities.

The phenomenon has affected thousands of residents, some of whom were evacuated in the middle of the night due to the severity of the flooding and the persistent winds.

At least 50,000 people have been moved to safe locations, according to authorities, while others are taking refuge in the safer homes of family members and neighbors.

One of the most alarming incidents occurred on Consulado Street in Central Havana, where a building experienced a partial collapse, causing panic among residents.

Rafael's passage through Havana adds to a series of significant damages to infrastructure and housing in other western provinces, although there are currently no reports of loss of human life.