Cuban authorities have begun a massive evacuation in the municipality of San Antonio del Sur, Guantánamo province, where more than 13,000 residents are being relocated to designated protection centers and shelters due to the imminent arrival of hurricane Melissa, a powerful Category 5 system that threatens to strike eastern Cuba in the coming hours.
Videos shared by the communicator Ramón Pelegrín Hartemán showed a large caravan of over 20 buses from state-owned companies, escorted by agents of the National Revolutionary Police (PNR) and rescue personnel, evacuating entire families towards the city of Guantánamo during the night on Sunday.
The images show women, elderly people, and children carrying backpacks and bags with their belongings, while they are being organized under the supervision of local authorities.
"This is the town of San Antonio del Sur heading towards Guantánamo. We currently have more than 20 buses, but a greater number is needed. The decision of the Defense Council is to save the lives of the population, as that is priority number one," Pelegrín stated during a broadcast from the main street of the municipality, which serves as the boarding point to safe areas.
The Provincial Defense Council of Guantánamo and its municipal counterpart in San Antonio del Sur ordered the total evacuation of the area, after confirming the deterioration of weather conditions on the southern coast.
According to Pelegrín in his social media, the sea was already beginning to penetrate inland in the Playa Sabanalamar area, where the waves washed away sandbanks and reached areas close to the homes.
"The sea is encroaching into the entire salt area. The road has remained damaged since Hurricane Oscar passed last year, and it is impossible to get there. Everything is in disarray," the communicator described, showing images of the water advancing over the coast.
The University of Guantánamo announced on Facebook that its student residence now houses over 300 evacuees from San Antonio del Sur, while rescue and salvage teams remain deployed to respond to potential emergencies.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) of the United States confirmed that Melissa is maintaining sustained winds of 260 km/h, on a path that will take it very close to the southeastern coastline of Cuba in the next 48 hours.
The provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantánamo remain under a cyclone alert due to the possibility of torrential rains, storm surges, and coastal flooding.
San Antonio del Sur, one of the most vulnerable municipalities in eastern Cuba, has yet to fully recover from the damage caused by Hurricane Óscar in 2024, which left destroyed homes, collapsed roads, and loss of life.
Today, its population once again faces fear and uncertainty, while the entire country anxiously monitors the development of Melissa.
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