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The mountainous community of San Pablo de Yao, in the municipality of Buey Arriba in the province of Granma, remains isolated following the impacts of Hurricane Melissa, which caused significant damage in eastern Cuba.
According to CNC TV Granma, “the strong winds and heavy rains not only damaged the only access road, but also disrupted telephone communications and the electrical service.” The outlet added that the bridge leading into the town was destroyed by the force of the floods from the Yao and Brazo de Buey rivers, which keeps its residents isolated.
For its part, Televisión Serrana reported that “as of today, their town is recovering but remains isolated. The bridge leading to this community was broken and buried under the force of the water volumes from the Yao River and the Brazo de Buey.” The publication displays images and warns about the lack of communication and electricity in the area.
Local authorities indicated that recovery efforts are progressing slowly due to the terrain conditions and the continued rainfall. There has been no official information regarding when ground access to the town might be restored.
The province of Granma was one of the most affected by the hurricane, which caused severe flooding, rising rivers, and power outages in several municipalities, especially in the mountainous areas.
Other isolated eastern communities
In the neighboring province of Santiago de Cuba, communities such as Los Reynaldos and Brazo Escondido also remain cut off after the collapse of bridges and the rise of rivers. The Minister of Transport, Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, reported on Facebook that “the damage to the bridge that provides access to the community of Los Reynaldos, in the municipality of Songo la Maya, has left this population isolated, except for access by rail.”
The activist Lara Crofts stated that in Brazo Escondido “the situation is critical: total isolation, the roads are cut off, and there is no access. Air rescue is impossible: there is no flat land for helicopters to land. Humanitarian risk: families are in danger, possibly without food or medicine.”
The Reynaldos and Brazo Escondido are joining the communities of El Uvero, La Plata, Ocujal, and Palmamocha in the municipality of Guamá, which also remain cut off after the passage of Hurricane Melissa. The president of the Provincial Defense Council, Beatriz Johnson Urrutia, noted that coordinators from the Communist Party and the Government are staying in the most affected areas and that radio amateurs are supporting communications.
On social media, numerous citizens have questioned the delay and expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of information and the slow institutional response. “How long are people in the East going to be without communication, when even cell phones can't make calls?” said a resident of Santiago.
The hurricane Melissa, which struck Cuba as a category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, left more than 16,000 damaged homes and 1,318 total collapses, according to preliminary official data. The situation in San Pablo de Yao and other areas of eastern Cuba remains one of isolation and vulnerability, while teams work to restore access and basic services.
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