At least 32 Dead in Cuba, 6 Dead in Haiti

[DCmetroraleigh]

LA HABANA (Reuters) - El huracán Dennis castiga a La Habana el sábado, derribando árboles y dejando a la ciudad de 2,2 millones de habitantes en la oscuridad, después de matar a 32 personas en el sureste de Cuba y en Haití.

La tormenta se debilitó al cruzar Cuba, y de ser un feroz huracán de la categoría 4, en la escala de 5 niveles Saffir-Simpson, pasó a ser de categoría 1, aunque sus vientos de 180 kilómetros por hora aún se sienten en las calles de la capital cubana, donde muchos ciudadanos viven en antiguas casas coloniales.

Los habitantes relataron que muchos árboles fueron literalmente arrancados del suelo.

El Centro Nacional de Huracanes de Estados Unidos, situado en Miami, dijo que Dennis se fortalecerá nuevamente el sábado cuando vuelva a emerger sobre las cálidas aguas abiertas y salte hacia el sur de los Cayos de Florida.

Miles de turistas y residentes fueron evacuados de la vulnerable cadena de islas del extremo sur de la península de Florida, mientras que muchos más se preparaban para dejar sus hogares junto a la costa estadounidense del Golfo de México, donde se espera que Dennis llegue el domingo.

La producción de petróleo y gas natural fue también interrumpida, ya que las plataformas de la costa estadounidense del golfo, de donde se extrae la cuarta parte del crudo y el gas norteamericanos, fueron evacuadas por las compañías energéticas.

Las autoridades cubanas evacuaron a más de 600.000 personas en diferentes partes del país mientras Dennis se acercaba a la ciudad de Cienfuegos, en el sur del país.

Pero las medidas, que usualmente le permiten al país de gobierno comunista evitar muertes por huracanes, no pudieron impedir el fallecimiento de 10 personas el jueves.


http://www.noticiascuba.com/

[feederband]

The key words "at least" were not going to know for sometime .I can only imagine what happened down their....

[Scorpion]

Made landfall as a borderline 4/5. Gotta be complete destruction down there.

[NC George]

MSNBC has someone on the ground in Cuba, doing a internet report. He was still sticking with the 10 reported dead, with reports Castro was pissed, wanted to know which party officials were responsible, and demanded detailed reports of each death. Also reported Havana largely spared, only trees down and power out. Major devestation along S coast, but N coast mostly OK.

[Cookiely]

HABANA (Reuters) - the Dennis hurricane punishes to Havana Saturday, demolishing trees and leaving to the city of 2.2 million inhabitants in the dark, after killing to 32 people in the Southeastern of Cuba and Haiti. The storm was debilitated when crossing Cuba, and of being a ferocious hurricane of category 4, in the scale of 5 Saffir-Simpson levels, it happened to be of category 1, although their winds of 180 kilometers per hour still feel in the streets of the Cuban capital, where many citizens live in old colonial houses. The inhabitants related that many trees literally were taken of the ground. Hurricane the National Center of the United States, located in Miami, said that Dennis will fortify Saturday again when it returns to emerge on warm open waters and jumps towards the south of the Keys of Florida. Thousand of tourists and residents they were evacuated of the vulnerable chain of islands of the South end of the peninsula of Florida, whereas many were prepared more to leave their homes next to the American coast of the Gulf of Mexico, where hopes that Dennis arrives Sunday. The production of petroleum and natural gas also was interrupted, since the platforms of the American coast of the gulf, of where it is extracted the fourth North American part of crude and the gas, they were evacuated by the power companies. The Cuban authorities evacuated to more than 600,000 people in different parts from the country while Dennis approached the city of Cienfuegos, in the south of the country. But the measures, that usually allow the country of communist government to avoid deaths by hurricanes, could not prevent the death of 10 people Thursday.

[Hurricaneman]

Thats a horrible thing for them

[Guest]

Havana, July 9 (AIN) Cuban President Fidel Castro praised the organization, discipline and unselfish commitment of the Cuban people in facing the passage of Hurricane Dennis across the island.

"It makes us feel optimistic about solving our problems" said Fidel Castro during a TV information program Friday, in which he had exchanges with Party leaders in different Cuban provinces. Fidel congratulated the authorities, grassroots organizations and the population in general for their attitude in facing the natural phenomenon.

President Castro insisted on the need to minimize the loss of lives and regretted the 10 deaths that occurred in eastern Granma and Santiago de Cuba provinces.

The Cuban Revolution leader spoke with Vice-president Carlos Lage who was visiting the Jovellanos municipality in central Matanzas province, still under heavy rain.

The First Secretary of the Communist Party in western Pinar del Rio province, Carmen Concepcion Reyes, told Fidel Castro that local reservoirs have increased their levels to 63 percent after a period of severe drought. She also added that 20,800 students were evacuated in Pinar del Rio and ships docked in safe places, tourists had been transferred to safe areas and basic food was guaranteed for the whole population.

The Cuban President also spoke with Basic Industry Minister Yadira Garcia, who described the situation of the island's power system, particularly the thermoelectric plants that provide eastern and central provices with electricity.

Meanwhile, the Party First Secretary in eastern Camaguey said that 21,000 people had been evacuated there and that although the rainfall had not been great, the local reservoirs had also recovered significant levels.

[Stratosphere747]

This unfortunately may be a situation that we will never totally know the true extent of the damage, and will probably lose invaluable information on how a storm the strength of Dennis effects the area that it landfall's.