Hurricane Rafael caused severe damage in San Antonio de los Baños

The hurricane knocked down poles, roofs, and trees, blocked roads, and flooded areas. Recovery efforts will be extensive, according to local authorities.

Daños en San Antonio de los Baños © La Hora de Cuba / Facebook
Damage in San Antonio de los BañosPhoto © La Hora de Cuba / Facebook

The municipality of San Antonio de los Baños in Artemisa has been one of the hardest hit by Hurricane Rafael.

The strong winds that battered the area knocked down electricity poles, tore roofs off houses, and uprooted large trees and branches, leaving streets and roads blocked, along with debris from damaged structures.

Photo: Facebook / La Hora de Cuba
Photo: Facebook / Bladimir Parada

The heavy rains caused the level of the Ariguanabo River to rise in the low area of the bridges, between La Placita and Plaza del 26.

Photo: Facebook / La Hora de Cuba
Photo: Facebook / La Hora de Cuba

Some neighborhoods and yards in the lower part of town were flooded due to slow drainage.

Photo: Facebook / La Hora de Cuba

According to the president of the municipal government speaking to Radio Ariguanabo, "there are many tasks" that will need to be undertaken during the recovery phase.

Facebook Capture / Radio Ariguanabo

The portal La Hora de Cuba shared images of the devastation, which include damage to roofs and fallen cables in public spaces.

Facebook Capture / The Hour of Cuba

The fallen trees, some uprooted, crushed benches in the Church Park and the Humor Park.

Photo: Facebook / La Hora de Cuba
Photo: Facebook / Radio Ariguanabo

"In the iconic park of the Train Station, a tree over a hundred years old fell, according to local residents who observe the destruction," the report stated.

"In Punta de Rosa, which operates as an informal terminal for issuing cars and trucks, a pine tree fell on one of the sales outlets," he added.

The headquarters of the Tobacco Company suffered significant damage.

Facebook Capture / Company ABT Lázaro Peña

According to journalist Meylin Pérez, the Base Business Unit (UEB) Droguería Artemisa suffered significant damage in its warehouses, where "the roofing of key areas related to medications was affected, damaging products and structures."

Facebook Capture / Meylin Pérez

"Efforts are being made to recover the affected medications," he said on Facebook.

Photo: Facebook / Meylin Pérez

The official newspaper El Artemiseño reported that the Iván Portuondo General Teaching Hospital is experiencing serious damage due to the strong winds associated with Hurricane Rafael.

The facility has damage to the roofs in much of the center, where the winds have torn off the waterproof tarps, which in turn have broken several pipes, including those in the neonatal unit, hindering the water supply in that area.

The therapy and pre-labor rooms lost their air conditioning compressors, which were blown off the roof by the winds.

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