Hurricane Sandy: Months later
2/10/2013 – “The next day when I returned home the only thing I found, where my house once stood, was debris… I lost everything” – Bárbara, 38 years old, from the community of Aguadores, Santiago de Cuba
The people of Santiago de Cuba tell about how on the night of October 25, only two hours before the arrival of Hurricane Sandy, they found out that the hurricane would hit their shores. According to weather reports, the hurricane was going to take a different path and it was not until it was very close to the coast the hurricane revealed its intention to hit Santiago and surrounding departments. The government’s recommendations were to take shelter, stay calm, and remain alert to radio and television reports.
Despite precautions taken, Sandy was harsh and devastated almost everything in its path. Heavy rains and winds of nearly 200 kilometres per hour destroyed whole houses and roofs, and swept away kitchen items, tables, chairs, beds, animals… Where there was once a house and maybe a window overlooking the sea, today, seven months later, there is only destruction; the strong force of nature clearly visible.
Sandy has been the strongest hurricane to hit the eastern region of Cuba in the last 50 years. It is estimated that 1.3 million people – roughly the population of Stockholm – were directly affected by the aforementioned damage, lack of access to clean water, loss of crops and interruptions in energy, healthcare and education.
The provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Holguin and Guantanamo were the most affected. It is estimated that in in Santiago and Holgíun over 24 000 homes were completely destroyed and another 212 000 houses partially damaged.
The Cuban Red Cross was one of the humanitarian organisations to respond first during the emergency. In the past seven months, this organisation, with the support of the Norwegian, Spanish and German Red Cross through an ECHO funded project, the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC), and other donors, have delivered roofing materials, mattresses, clean drinking water, jerry cans, and hygiene and kitchen kits to over 25 000 affected families.
So far, due to efforts of the government and the Cuban Red Cross, about 30% of the houses that were affected have been rehabilitated. However, despite these great efforts, the need to assist and help the rest of the population is more than urgent. Approximately 160 000 households in Santiago and Holguin are still without a proper roof. Families repaired their roofs with what they could, using debris they found after the hurricane. Add to this that the rainy season has started, and the situation suddenly becomes even more desperate. Many of the affected need roofing sheets for their homes and mattresses for their beds since the rain, combined with a leaky roof, eventually rots away the little that families were able to rescue.
As told with concern by Dr. Zoelia Cassola Lopez, provincial director of the Cuban Red Cross in Santiago de Cuba, “between the months of May and October the hurricane season begins in this country, bringing with it the consequence that many families are getting wet”.
The solidarity of the Cuban people, together with the hard work of the Cuban Red Cross and the government to rehabilitate the damages, brings with it a small glimmer of hope for the thousands of families who are still waiting for a roof over their heads.