Cuba excels in hurricane preparedness

Like the Gulf Coast of the United States, the island nation of Cuba was hit hard by hurricanes Gustav and Ike in the fall of 2008.

However, in Cuba, no one, not a single person, was left to their own luck to survive the hurricanes.

A hurricane-damaged home in Pinar del Río being rebuilt. WW photo: Gloria Rubac

“We are lucky to have a Revolution! It is a fact that nobody will be neglected,” wrote Fidel Castro in his “Reflections” on Aug. 28, 2008, before Gustav had yet hit Cuba. “Our strong, forceful and farsighted Civil Defense protects our people.”

Members of the 2009 Pastors for Peace Cuba Friendshipment Caravan, who traveled to Cuba from the U.S. this July, found out just how real that statement is.

One group of caravanistas spent four days in the most western Cuban province, Pinar del Río, which just 10 months earlier had been devastated by Gustav and Ike. Meeting with government and Communist Party officials in the provincial capital, we learned firsthand how Cuba prepares for a hurricane and how they recover from one.

Socialist planning, prevention

School in Puerto Esperanza— From left: Rev. Lucius Walker, two of the teachers and caravanista Bill Hill who was part of the November 2008 reconstruction effort.

“Our major task is prevention. We protect our population and also the resources of our economy,” explained an official.

The province of Pinar del Río has a population of 731,000 people. During Gustav 164,000 people were evacuated and during Ike 192,000 people were evacuated. Everything was organized, well-planned and well-executed. Electricity was out for 20 days, but there were generators for businesses and for people.

“First, we begin before hurricane season is near. We study the population. We identify which of our people will need help. We know which areas will flood first. We have food and supplies ready.

“Second, if a hurricane is approaching and evacuation is necessary, we keep people informed using all media—television, radio and the press. We begin with those most needy, the elderly, families with small children, the sick. Students in boarding schools are immediately taken home. Those who have no one to take them in are taken to civil defense areas that are prepared to house them.

“Then we evaluate economic problems, such as livestock, crops and factories, and take precautions.

A hurricane-damaged home being repaired.

“When the hurricane hits us, everyone and everything is protected. Once the hurricane passes, recovery begins immediately.”

In a town in Pinar del Río, Puerto Esperanza, we visited a special school that had been brutally damaged by the hurricanes. Within weeks, Pastors for Peace had sent 30 volunteers to help the community rebuild Escuela Especial Santos Cruz; now it is 90 percent complete. The school educates 76 children with mild to severe mental retardation.

Before the hurricane hit, all desks, books, school records and other supplies were stored in a bunker so they wouldn’t be ruined. After the hurricane students didn’t stop going to school, but met in homes. “Due to good planning, they didn’t miss a beat,” one of the teachers told us.

Puerto Esperanza is a village of 2,000 people on the coast. Historically, many people here have made a living by fishing. Today there is a fishing co-op of 160 workers. After the hurricanes there was a lot of destruction, but today they have rebuilt and recovered from the storms.

The director of the co-op, Magaly Rodríguez Gómez, told us that no one lost their job after Gustav and Ike hit last year. Everyone was paid while the rebuilding was going on.

She explained that since the Cuban revolution there has been a 180-degree turn in the fishing industry.

“Before, the private fishermen wouldn’t pay regular salaries. After the season ended, the workers would lose their jobs. Now, we are paid year-round. After our boats were damaged from the hurricanes, we were still paid while we rebuilt our industry, and it is now 100 percent complete.”

On July 31, 130 caravan members joined with 140 members of the Venceremos Brigade in central Havana for an Anti-imperialist Tribune. One of the speakers was Irma González, daughter of political prisoner René González, one of the Cuban Five being imprisoned in the U.S.

González told the international audience of mostly North Americans: “We welcome you as our brothers and sisters. We take pride that we are never by ourselves. You visit our country in difficult times. You struggle against the blockade and you support our heroes, the Cuban Five.”

She continued, “The last few years of hurricanes have been difficult. Over a half a million homes were destroyed. We had over $10 billion in damage. But nobody was forsaken in our country. We made huge efforts and no one lost their job. The most important thing ever is the life of every single human being in Cuba.”