Preliminary Assessment of the Impact of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike

An Information Service of the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, University of Miami

Excerps from: Issue 101 - September 12, 2008 - Staff Report

Cuba was hit in the past few weeks by two major hurricanes that have caused widespread destruction and human misery. This is perhaps the worst natural disaster in the past half-century.



Damage Reports:
Over 320,000 houses were damaged by the hurricanes. (1)

50% of houses in Holguin have been irreparably damaged (2),

80% of houses in Banes have been destroyed. (3)

In Nuevitas, Camaguey, at least 15% of the hotels were damaged. (4)

70% of the agricultural production in Villa Clara was destroyed. (5)

Over 2 million Cubans have been displaced by the storms. (6)

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported estimates of damage between $3-$4 billion USD. (7)

Cuba’s health care infrastructure is severely damaged: in Isla de la Juventud, the general hospital, “Héroes de Baire,” which serves 87,000 people, is not functional. “Comandante Pinares,” a hospital in the municipality of San Cristobal, serving 200,000 people, has been severely damaged. (8)

In Isla de la Juventud, “4,500 posts are reported down, 530 transformers damaged, 5,000 street lights destroyed and 38,700 electrical isolators and 800 tons worth of conductors are beyond repair.” (9)

In Pinar del Rio, 55 km of the primary and secondary electrical network were severely damaged. (10)

In Pinar del Rio, over 25,900 metric tons of agricultural crops were lost, and another 1,184 damaged. 13,070 hectares of root vegetables, 2,931 hectares of grains, and 543 hectares of fruits and 3,306 tobacco houses have been destroyed. (11)

Outlook:
The next few weeks are critical for the Cuban government as to how it is going to react to meet the basic food, shelter and health needs of the Cuban people. It is also the first real test of General Raul Castro’s administration in a crisis situation. Raul has not apeared in public, delegating the role of spokespersons to first Vice President Ramon Machado Ventura and second Vice President Carlos Lage.

The intermediate term outlook for economic recovery is dismal. The highly centralized nature of Cuba’s decision making process, together with the lack of resources, present formidable barriers to effective recovery efforts. Major reconstruction efforts will take a long time...

In the short term, Cuba’s productive capabilities have been severely affected including significant damage in some key sectors (e.g., agriculture, tobacco, and tourism) further limiting the country’s purchasing power in international markets. In particular, tourism may suffer as foreign visitors curtail their travel plans given Cuba's uncertain situation...
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Notes
1. Hernandez, Marta. “Más de 320,000 casas dañadas,” Granma, September 11, 2008.
2. “Holguín: Más del 50% de las viviendas ha sufrido graves daños,” Cuba Encuentro, September 10, 2008.
3. “Prepararnos para la Recuperación,” Granma, September 9, 2008.
4. Robles, Frances. “Rising waters threaten Hurricane Ike-ravaged Cuba,” Miami Herald, September 10, 2008.
5. Robles, Frances. “Rising waters threaten Hurricane Ike-ravaged Cuba,” Miami Herald, September 10, 2008.
6. Williams, Carol J. “Ike Moves into Gulf to Regain Strength,” Los Angeles Times, September 10, 2008.
7. “Los Daños de Ike y Gustav podrían sumar 4.000 millones de dólares,” Cuba Encuentro, September 10, 2008.
8. PAHO (Pan American Health Organization). “2008 Hurricane Season, Cuba Situation Report.”http://www.paho.org/english/dd/ped/hurricanes2008.htm September 10, 2008.
9. “Cuba: Hurricane Season 2008 Emergency Appeal No. MDRCU001” ReliefWeb.
10. “Cuba: Hurricane Season 2008 Emergency Appeal No. MDRCU001” ReliefWeb.
11. “La agricultura, víctima de Gustav en Pinar del Río,” Granma, September 2, 2008.