On the Ground in Cuba After Hurricane Melissa

Hurricane Melissa tore through Santiago de Cuba with winds over 120 mph — uprooting trees and flooding neighborhood.

Despite the destruction, no lives were lost thanks in part to Cuba’s Civil Defense system, which evacuated hundreds of thousands before landfall.

TRANSCRIPT

“This is Santiago de Cuba, the country’s second-largest city – and one of the areas hit hardest by Hurricane Melissa”, said Liz Oliva, journalist with Belly of the Beast.

The impact of the storm has been tremendous — truly disastrous. Residents here say they’ve never seen anything like it.

The hurricane made landfall with sustained winds exceeding 120 miles per hour, leaving behind severe damage across the city. When daylight came, people could finally see the extent of the destruction.

Powerful gusts brought down trees and caused flooding in several neighborhoods. At the University of Oriente, the scene was one of total devastation — nearly every tree had fallen, and residents expect electricity may take weeks to restore.

Some homes suffered partial collapses, while many others lost parts of their structures. 

“Behind me, Santiago’s main baseball stadium”,  said Oliva, – one of the city’s most iconic landmarks — also took a direct hit from the storm.

Despite the widespread damage, authorities report that no lives were lost. Cuba’s Civil Defense had evacuated hundreds of thousands of people before the hurricane made landfall — a response that the United Nations has described as ‘a model in hurricane risk management.’

For five days, officials warned residents about the storm’s strength and urged them to take precautions. Many here say those warnings — and lessons learned from previous hurricanes like Sandy in 2012 — helped them prepare more seriously this time.

Hurricane Melissa is being called the strongest storm to strike Cuba since Sandy. Although its gusts came in intense bursts rather than sustained winds, the destruction was still considerable.

Now, the challenge is recovery. With the country already facing a difficult economic situation, residents fear rebuilding will take time. Many have lost their homes — but they say there’s no choice but to move forward.

Across Santiago, people have begun clearing debris, repairing roofs, and helping their neighbors. Acts of solidarity and mutual aid are visible on every street.

Cuban resilience, once again, is being tested — and, as always, strengthened.

From Santiago de Cuba, this is a report on the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.