The government of Guantánamo will sell charcoal due to the approach of Hurricane Melissa.
According to authorities, this Sunday coal was supposed to be distributed in 6 markets of the provincial capital, but complaints on the Facebook post of Telecentro Solvisión reporting this indicate otherwise.
"Where. Because look at what time it is and nothing has been sold to the people"; "Why wasn't it sold yesterday at the fair that we were all waiting for"; "No one knows and no one answers, where, when, and how the sale of the supposed product"; are some of the comments from people in Guantánamo
Although it will also be sold in the municipalities, according to official information, the people of Guantánamo are also complaining: “I am from San Justo where it is being sold, and I have 2 little girls and a sick person with the virus in bed, and there’s nothing to cook with, please we are waiting.”
Evacuations in the East
More than 650,000 people will be evacuated in Eastern Cuba due to the proximity of Hurricane Melissa.
A total of 258,573 people from the province of Santiago de Cuba, around 69,000 from Holguín, 139,914 from Guantánamo, 72,000 from Las Tunas, and about 110,000 from Granma will need to leave their homes and seek shelter in the houses of friends or family, or in evacuation centers, reported the Presidency of Cuba in a thread on X.
The information was revealed during the virtual extended session of the Expanded Defense Council presided over by the leader Miguel Díaz-Canel.
In Santiago de Cuba, it was also reported that the Baraguá and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes reservoirs are being monitored.
In Granma, the situation is complex due to swollen rivers, reservoir overflows, and coastal flooding caused by the nighttime high tide in the Gulf of Guacanayabo, which obstructs the natural drainage of water. As a result, 15% of the population, amounting to 66,000 people, will be evacuated to shelters.
On its part, in Guantánamo, 30% of the population will be sheltered in 108 centers.
Finally, in Las Tunas, there are 133 evacuation centers, and most of those taking shelter will do so in the homes of family and friends.
It was reported a little earlier that in the easternmost province, out of a total of 108,000 evacuees, most will be staying in the homes of family and friends.
According to the state media, there are 83 centers for food production and 69 schools designated as evacuation centers in that province.
In Baracoa, specifically, 10,000 people will remain evacuated, as recent rains have affected the mountain roads, drainage system, and the main bridge in the area.
Hurricane Melissa
The hurricane Melissa has continued to strengthen its winds, which have now reached 230 km/h with higher gusts.
According to the 5 PM report from the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC), the eye is located at latitude 16.4 North, longitude 77.2 West.
The Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale is moving westward at about 5 mph (7 km/h). A slow westward movement is expected tonight, followed by a turn to the north and northeast on Monday and Tuesday.
The center of Melissa will move near or over Jamaica on Tuesday, and across southeastern Cuba on Tuesday night, then over the southeastern Bahamas on Wednesday.
The NHC forecasts additional intensification over the next day or so, followed by fluctuations in intensity.
"It is expected that Melissa will become a powerful major hurricane when it makes landfall in Jamaica on Monday night or Tuesday morning and in southeastern Cuba by late Tuesday," the report warns.
Melissa has hurricane-force winds extending outward from the eye for up to 30 miles (45 km) and tropical storm-force winds extending out to 205 miles (335 km).
The estimated minimum central pressure is 941 mb (27.79 inches).
Rain and storm surge
The report forecasts a total storm rainfall of 10 to 15 inches for eastern Cuba, with localized amounts reaching 20 inches, from Monday to Wednesday, which could lead to life-threatening flash floods and numerous landslides.
There is also a potential for significant storm surge along the southeast coast of Cuba for the late hours of Tuesday or Wednesday.
The maximum heights of the storm surge could reach 6 to 9 feet above normal tide levels, near and east of where the center of Melissa makes landfall. This storm surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves, the information adds.
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