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The Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel published several messages on his official X account (formerly Twitter) this Wednesday following the impact of Hurricane Melissa in the eastern part of the country, where it has left a trail of destruction and widespread damage.
"It has been a very challenging early morning. There is extensive damage, and Hurricane Melissa is still over Cuban territory. I urge our people not to let their guard down, to maintain discipline, and to stay in safe shelter. As soon as conditions allow, we will begin recovery efforts. We are ready," wrote the president on October 29, alongside an update from the Cuban Institute of Meteorology.
Shortly after, he shared another message on the same social network, stating that he has maintained communication with the authorities of the Communist Party in the eastern provinces: “We have been in communication all night with the first secretaries of the Party in the eastern provinces, the last one just a few minutes ago. Control over the situation remains in place. We have prepared for the worst-case scenario, and the measures have been effective,” he stated, accompanied by the hashtag #FuerzaCuba.
One day before the impact, Díaz-Canel led a political-cultural event on the Malecón in Havana to commemorate the 66th anniversary of Camilo Cienfuegos' disappearance, while the country was under a national emergency due to the impending hurricane Melissa. The simultaneous occurrence of the event with the worsening weather situation raised questions "due to the contrast between the ritual display and the urgency of civil protection on the brink of greater impacts."
On that same day, during a televised address, Díaz-Canel urged the population to "act responsibly" in the face of the hurricane, which he described as "one of the strongest or perhaps the most severe that has ever passed through the national territory." In that intervention, he assured that all measures had been taken and that brigades from various sectors were mobilized "to begin recovery as soon as conditions allow."
Impact in Eastern Cuba
Hurricane Melissa made landfall early Wednesday morning on the southern coast of Santiago de Cuba, with sustained maximum winds of 195 km/h, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). In its path, it caused severe damage to infrastructure, homes, and power grids, as well as significant flooding.
Testimonials shared on social media showed scenes of destruction in various neighborhoods of Santiago, with “trees uprooted, collapsed power poles, roofs torn off, and streets turned into rivers.” In Guamá, where the phenomenon made landfall, the waves exceeded four meters, and homes close to the coast suffered severe damage. In Palma Soriano, the Charco Mono dam overflowed, while in San Luis, a productive area was completely flooded.
Melissa is leaving Cuba
On Wednesday morning, Hurricane Melissa began moving northeast, preparing to leave Cuba heading towards the Bahamas. With sustained winds of 165 km/h, the system continued to issue hurricane warnings for the provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, Holguín, and Las Tunas.
The accumulated rainfall exceeded 250 millimeters in Santiago de Cuba and 300 millimeters in the Sierra Maestra, with a risk of flash floods and landslides. Although it weakened, the NHC warned that Melissa remained “a strong and dangerous hurricane.”
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