Hurricane Ike Sweeps Eastern Cuba

Hurricane Ike has caused major damage to homes and agriculture in the eastern provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Holguin and Las Tunas, according to local preliminarily reports. 

Col. Jose E. Betancourt, head of the Risk Reduction Department of the
National Civil Defense Council, noted that in spite of the loss,
measures taken to preserve human life and to minimize the negative
effects on the economy have been effective. 

Santiago de Cuba's municipalities of Guama and Segundo Frente are cut
off by rivers that have flooded several localities in the area. Of the
nine reservoirs in the area, seven are releasing waters, as an average
of 96 percent of the total capacity has been already collected. 

Northern coastal towns in Las Tunas, Jesus Menendez, Puerto Padre and
Manati were also severely hit by the hurricane. Ike's winds caused
serious damage to houses, banana plantations, schools and health centers
and buildings related to the local economy.  

Betancourt stressed that a hurricane warning remains in Cuba's central
and western provinces, including the capital Havana, and now includes
the westernmost province of Pinar del Rio and the special municipality
of Isla de la Juventud.