The heavy rains from Hurricane Melissa caused an unprecedented rise in the Guayabal River, in the municipality of Contramaestre, Santiago de Cuba, where dozens of families experienced a night of terror.
We thought we would drown,” said Yamilet Álvarez Hechavarría, who managed to escape with her 80-year-old mother when the water was already covering their home.
According to a report from the official Cuban Television, the Guayabal River reached over eleven meters in height and destroyed at least twenty houses.
"When they opened the door, the river was already inside the house. We ran up the road in panic," recalled Maritza Virgen Fonseca Peña as she remembered the moments of anguish amid the darkness and the roar of the water.
Neighbors recounted that the men of the neighborhood risked their lives to rescue others.
"My son Dilson, along with several neighbors, jumped into the water and started rescuing people. I am a nurse, and I provided first aid as they brought them to me," Álvarez said.
Fonseca recounted how her sister saved her when she had no strength left.
"I asked her to let me go, to save herself, but she pulled me by the arms and dragged me along the road until a neighbor took us to his house," she recalled sadly.
The images released show mud footprints everywhere, wet mattresses, and families trying to salvage what little remains.
Despite the disaster, some still hold out hope of receiving aid from the regime: "I trust that the government will not abandon us," said Álvarez, who lost everything.
Local authorities announced that they are working on relocating the affected families and restoring access roads to the community.
Hurricane Melissa, which struck eastern Cuba at the end of October, caused significant damage in the province of Santiago de Cuba, particularly in the municipalities of Contramaestre and La Gran Piedra, where the winds and rains destroyed homes, hotels, and agricultural areas.
This cyclone affected more than 3.5 million Cubans, according to new estimates from the United Nations that significantly raise the initial figures published by the island's government.
The information was disseminated by the agency EFE, which cited an official report from the UN prepared after an assessment visit to the most devastated areas of eastern Cuba, where the cyclone made landfall twelve days ago as a category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
According to the report, more than 90,000 homes suffered partial or total damage and about 100,000 acres of crops were devastated.
This represents an increase of 15% and 22%, respectively, compared to the data previously released by the Cuban authorities.
The international organization described the effects of the hurricane as "enormous" and warned that the damages also affect 600 medical facilities and more than 2,000 educational centers, in addition to bridges, highways, dams, and telecommunications antennas.
In light of the magnitude of the damages, the UN presented a Action Plan for Cuba valued at 74.2 million dollars, aimed at addressing the basic needs of around one million people severely affected, including food, shelter, and access to clean water.
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