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Cubans are ill-prepared
for Ivan 6j432p
By Mary Murray, Producer
NBC News.
HAVANA - Cubans called it the "one-two
punch." After Hurricane Charley battered
the island less than a month ago, decimating
70,000 homes and racking up a billion dollars
in damage, Ivan was fast approaching on
Friday, packing deadly Category 4 winds
and rain.
Cuban Civil Defense authorities have divided
up the island in red and yellow zones, the
colors signifying different phases of alert
and response.
Evacuations began Friday in six eastern
provinces, placed on red or full alert.
Some 100,000 people have fled their homes
and authorities expect to order the evacuation
of up to half a million people before the
monster storm makes landfall sometime on
Sunday. Thousands of cattle are being evacuated
as well.
The western provinces of Pinar del Rio
and Havana, including the capital city,
are on yellow alert where residents of low-lying
areas are being told their evacuation order
could be issued with just a few hours notice.
Over 300,000 boarding school students were
sent home early so that authorities could
convert their schools into government-run
shelters. Many of these schools are large
enough to house as many as 5,000 people.
Radio Reloj, the island's all-news radio
station, is broadcasting around-the-clock
emergency hurricane updates from Cuba's
National Meteorological Institute and orders
from the Army's Civil Defense unit.
Castro: 'Remain calm'
Despite the gravity of this storm, Fidel
Castro appeared on national television late
Thursday, straining to remain optimistic.
He urged people to "remain calm and
disciplined."
The Cuban president added, "The number
one thing is to protect lives. We'll work
out the rest. It may take time but we will
recover."
As Castro showed maps ed off the
U.S. government's National Weather Service
internet web site, he voiced every Cuban's
biggest fear: Ivan would sweep across Havana,
the vulnerable Cuban capital.
No money for hurricane proofing
The historic city of 2 million people is
not prepared for a hurricane.
Unlike the scenes in Florida, only 90 miles
away, there are no big hardware stores stocking
emergency supplies, no special steel shutters
or planks of disposable plywood.
Instead, some glass windows have a few
strips of masking tape that will do little
to shield anyone from a shattering wind.
Most windows are made of wood.
This is the Caribbean and a country of
poor people. Homes here are open - normally
to catch the slightest breeze to offset
the tropical heat. Roofs are weak, many
buildings crumbling.
No one is flocking to the grocery store
or gas stations. In general, people don't
have the cash reserves to stock up on groceries,
nor is there a variety of goods available.
For example, car batteries are the most
sought-after consumer product at the moment.
But they are only available on the black
market at double the normal price.
While a small generator locally costs as
much as $900 - a fortune for your average
Cuban - innovative people power their homes
with $50 car batteries. But they sold out
after Hurricane Charley smashed into the
island's power grid and shut off the lights.
Some southern coastal towns are still without
power.
No one doubts that a direct hit on Havana
will cause the maximum damage, especially
if Ivan stalls over the city.
Dr. Jos Rubiera, the island's top
meteorologist and an expert at predicting
hurricanes, described the storm as "relentless."
He fears Ivan will pummel Cuba for as long
as 12 hours, leaving tens of thousands homeless.
Mary Murray is an NBC News producer based
in Havana.
2004
MSNBC.com
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