Hurricane Irma on Cayo Coco and its consequences. Hurricane Irma caused flooding in Cuba Hurricane in Cuba now map

Huge waves have torn apart the waterfront of the old colonial city after the island's northern coast was swept away by the storm. Residents of the Cuban capital found themselves waist-deep in water. Havana's communications are completely destroyed.

“This is a terrible disaster because most of the buildings are not prepared for the elements and will not withstand the flood,” said Cuban Yanmara Suarez, standing chest-deep in water.

Express information on the country

Cuba(Republic of Cuba) is an island state in the northern Caribbean Sea.

Capital– Havana

Largest cities: Havana, Santiago de Cuba

Form of government– Socialist Republic

Territory– 110,860 km 2 (104th in the world)

Population– 11.38 million people. (77th in the world)

Official language– Spanish

Religion– Catholicism, syncretism

HDI– 0.769 (67th in the world)

GDP– $77.15 billion (66th in the world)

Currency– peso

“In all the 49 years that I’ve lived here, this is the first time this has happened,” says Ernesto Losa, whose house, fortunately, was on higher ground and suffered the least damage. “The sea level has always risen, but there has never been a flood.”

Cuban authorities said wind speeds reached 150 km/h in the capital. On Sunday, Havana was left without electricity, water supply and telephone communications were interrupted. In some places, ocean water has risen higher than 500 m. The city municipality reports that the situation will not improve until Tuesday.

Irma razed downtown Cuba on Saturday, ripping off roofs, uprooting trees and downing power lines. Cuban media reported that wind speeds reached 256 km/h. Authorities evacuated about a million people, about 4 thousand of them from coastal areas and tourist centers. There are no reports of casualties in Cuba.

Cuban helping hand

Now Cuba itself is in distress, but last week about 750 doctors were sent to help the regions affected by the atrocities of Irma - the islands of Antigua, Barbuda, St. Kitts, Nevis, St. Lucia, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

Cuban doctors in the Dominican Islands

A small country with a population of 11 million does not remain indifferent to the victims of the disaster. Thus, a team of 600 Cuban medical workers worked in Sierra Leone in 2014 at the height of Ebola, and 1,200 Cuban doctors ended up in Haiti after the earthquake in 2010. Who will come to the aid of Cuba today?

WHAT IS THE CONDITION OF CUBA'S TOURIST INFRASTRUCTURE?

Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo suffered the most from Hurricane Irma, which passed through Cuba - here, according to eyewitnesses, the infrastructure was destroyed almost 100% and there is still no electricity. Tour operators who put their money in Cuba (ANEX Tour, Pegas Touristik) planned to begin flight programs to Cayo Coco in October.

Representatives of the tour operator reported that now tourists you can rest b in the following hotels (and travel agents, accordingly, sell tours to them):

Melia Varadero

Melia Las Americas

Memories Varadero

Iberostar Bella Vista

Ocean Vista Azul

Barcelo Solymar

Arenas Blancas

Starfish Quatro Palmas

Belive Experience Varadero

Belive Las Morlas

Representatives of ANEXTour note that the damage in these hotels is not critical and will be restored within a few days, the repairs do not interfere with tourists’ recreation: somewhere a swimming pool, beach bars, a la carte restaurants, etc. are being restored.

Pegas Touristik also reports facts about the relocation of tourists from hotels damaged by Irma.

“The check-in of tourists is carried out in agreement with our host company. We do not accommodate tourists in hotels with destroyed infrastructure. All tourists whose booked hotels were damaged by the hurricane are offered other accommodation facilities of a similar star rating,” explained Anna Podgornaya.

Similar information is provided by ICS Travel Group. “From the hotels that are currently undergoing forced renovations, tourists have been accommodated in other hotels of the corresponding category,” the company told Vestnik ATOR.

According to the Cuban Ministry of Tourism, in Varadero, all hotels in the Melia chain are open and operating normally, with the exception of the Paradisus Varadero, Melia Peninsula Varadero and Royal Service Paradisus Prinncesa del Mar hotels. Among the most serious damages was the damage to the dome of the Meli Hotel? Varadero. They promise to put it in order within a month.

Hotel holding Iberostar announced that almost all hotels in Varadero and Havana have returned to normal operating hours. Currently, only Iberostar Alameda and Habana Riviera by Iberostar are closed for operational repairs.

As Cuban Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz emphasized, “there is no disaster in hotels in Cuba.” According to him, tour operators in some countries, for example Canada, where the largest number of tourists come to the island, are launching flight programs to Cuban destinations this Friday.

WHAT ABOUT FLIGHT PROGRAMS ON

Hurricane Irma was a real blow for tourism in Cuba. Tourists post photos on social media of destroyed lobbies and rooms with broken glass and broken furniture. We can agree that such posts cannot reflect the real picture of the state of the resort. A Spanish travel agent decided to personally find out what is happening in Varadero - he visited the hotels and posted a report on TripAdvisor. We invite you to read it to decide whether it is worth going to Cuba now.

Irma has gone wild

According to the travel agent, the disaster not only affected the hotels, but also literally littered the entire resort with debris, stones and fallen trees. Although Varadero Airport should be operational any day now, getting to it is very difficult. The road is blocked by fallen electrical poles and various debris. The city itself was also badly damaged. There are problems with electricity, some shops are not working.

An inspection of hotels showed that many of them have common problems. Access to some is actually blocked by trees and debris. Although the hotels themselves have begun restoration work, the roads to them have not yet been cleared. There is also no regular supply of electricity. Most hotels operate on backup power generators. Cellular communications and the Internet are available with great interruptions.

In its report, the travel agent noted that most guests were staying in their rooms as authorities asked them to stay away from beach areas and areas damaged by the hurricane. At the same time, restaurants have not resumed their work in all hotels; where there are problems with food, food is again delivered to tourists directly to their rooms.

Counted heads

In addition to the general assessment, the travel agent spoke about the condition of the most popular hotels in the resort. Many of them are badly damaged, but there are also those that were practically undamaged by Hurricane Irma.

Blau Marina Varadero– the hotel suffered serious damage, as it is located right at the tip of the peninsula and came under a direct blow from Irma. In the main building, the roof and glass doors were destroyed by the wind. There is damage in the rooms themselves. The beach was washed away due to the waves.

Melia Marina Varadero– Some rooms have broken windows and damaged balconies, but the greatest damage can be seen in the hotel's common areas, especially the lobby. The hotel is located on a hill, so protection from gusts of wind is minimal.

Grand Memories Varadero– restoration work will be required in the foyer. Irma also caused extensive damage to the hotel's roof, gardens and pools. According to the general director of the hotel, about 40 rooms will have to be repaired; in particular, their windows are broken. But overall there is no serious structural damage. However, access to the beach is virtually blocked.

Memories Varadero– the hotel is in relatively good condition. Some restoration work will be required in corridors, public areas and rooms on upper floors where ceiling leaks can only be repaired after a complete roof replacement. Currently, the hotel has already opened a lobby bar without alcoholic beverages. It is planned that it will soon be able to operate as usual.

Paradisus Varadero– the roof was partially demolished, the main building was also badly damaged by the wind, and a new restaurant, which was being built near the beach, collapsed. Apparently, restoring the hotel will cost the owner a large sum.

Royalton Hicacos– another hotel that received heavy damage. The beach area is washed out due to the waves. The restaurant on the beach was partially destroyed, the roof was torn off in places. The Caribeño restaurant has broken windows. The hotel area is littered with rubble.

Iberostar Varadero– the thatched roofs of part of the bungalows were blown away, those located near the pool were completely destroyed. The hotel theater was damaged.

Be Live Turquesa– the hotel was evacuated, so it was not possible to conduct a full inspection.

Playa de Oro– The windows in the rooms are broken. The hotel lobby and swimming pool were partially destroyed. There are fallen trees throughout the area. Nevertheless, the restaurant is open and provides food for guests.

ROC Arenas Doradas– the hotel is in relatively good condition. In some places, air conditioners were torn off, but there was no significant damage.

Meliá Las Antillas– the hotel was also almost undamaged. Minor damage to the facade will be quickly repaired.

Blau Varadero– due to the fact that the hotel is quite high, the main damage occurred on the upper floors. The lobby was largely undamaged by the hurricane.

Starfish Varadero– no significant damage was noted.

Brisas del Caribe– rooms and lobby are heavily damaged. During the inspection, several tourists were seen waiting to be relocated due to broken glass in their rooms and leaking ceilings.

Iberostar Laguna Azul– The hotel is located on a hill but did not suffer major damage despite its exposed location. However, several bungalows were completely destroyed, and the roof of the restaurant was torn off.

Starfish Cuatro Palmas– the hotel was evacuated. A quick inspection showed partial damage to the façade.

At the end of his note, the travel agent predicted that it would take at least several months to repair all the damage. This is due to the fact that the priority is to restore electricity, water supply and telecommunications services. Hoteliers will be the last to repair facades and rooms.

Note that numerous destructions in hotels in Cuba were officially reported by Rostourism. However, if tourists refuse tours to the island, cancellations will occur in a standard format, taking into account the actual costs incurred by the tour operator. Therefore, the travel agent must decide for himself whether to sell Cuba now or not.

MOSCOW, November 13 – RIA Novosti, Irina Nekhoroshkina. Counselor of the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba, Director of the Representative Office of the Ministry of Tourism in Russia, Edilberto Riveron Leon, in an interview with RIA Novosti, noted the record growth in tourist flows from Russia, despite the terrible Hurricane Irma, which hit the Caribbean on September 10, 2017, and assured that guests of the Island Freedom should not be afraid of such natural disasters.

The representative of Cuba said that tourism in his country accounts for approximately 30-40% of total GDP and that it ranks second in importance among other sectors of the country's economy, right after the service sector.

Record tourist flow from Russia

“2017 is considered very successful for Cuba in terms of tourism. Now we can say for sure that before October 2017, more than 80 thousand tourists from Russia visited Liberty Island. If we take 2012 for comparison, which became the most successful tourist season for Cuba, then then 86 thousand of your fellow citizens visited us. Based on the indicators obtained until October, we can confidently say that this record will be broken in 2017,” Riveron assessed the situation.

He clarified that Cuba would like to reach 100 thousand Russian tourists in 2017, but the tourist flow is estimated at the end of the year. “I think that it (this figure) is quite achievable, but I am sure that more than 90 thousand Russians will definitely visit Cuba by the end of the year,” the diplomat said.

According to Riveron, Russians currently occupy 11th place among foreign tourists in Cuba.

“The first place is traditionally occupied by Canadian citizens, who really like to come to the island. Next come the Americans - they are our neighbors, and recently, US citizens have again begun to come to Cuba more often. After them, the top places in the ranking are shared by representatives of European countries, as well as Argentina and Mexico," Riveron explained.

According to the adviser, tourists from China also come to Cuba who do not like beach holidays, but for them there are many interesting places in Cuba, in addition to the sun and sea.

Don't be afraid of hurricanes

According to the diplomat, the terrible hurricane Irma, which hit the Caribbean region on September 10, 2017, overshadowed the good tourist season in Cuba.

“Cuba was unlucky this year, but such a phenomenon as a hurricane cannot be predicted long in advance. Sometimes people ask me whether it is worth going to Cuba in the summer because of the danger of hurricanes. Sometimes a hurricane happens once every five years. I am Cuban myself, I am over 50 years old, but I’ve been through hurricanes three times in my life and I can say that you shouldn’t be afraid of hurricanes,” Riveron said.

The interlocutor emphasized that the system of protection against such natural disasters works very well in Cuba, thanks to which there are very few casualties in the country.

“It is wrong to think that when a hurricane warning comes out, everyone protects themselves as they wish. There is a strict program where for each stage there are certain safety measures that everyone must follow. Government authorities are very strict in enforcing the proper regulations, and no one can do amateur performance," he explained.

The diplomat said that many countries around the world recognize the Cuban security system during natural disasters and the rules of conduct during natural disasters as the most effective.

Hurricane Irma and its consequences

Riveron clarified that Hurricane Irma caused particularly severe destruction on small islands in the north of the region.

“For example, on Varadero, all the damage was quickly eliminated, and even those hotels that received more serious damage did not stop operating - everything was fixed in just a couple of weeks. But on islands such as Cayo Santa Maria and Cayo Coco there was extensive damage, but people there were not injured, and the disaster did not cause serious damage to utilities,” the source said.

The adviser noted that the local government and residents of the affected areas with great enthusiasm began to eliminate the damage caused by the disaster, and in 44 days almost everything had already been restored.

“On October 23, the first flights with tourists arrived from Canada. On November 1, 10 hotels out of 16 damaged structures were restored on Cayo Coco, and another 6 hotels will open on November 10-15. The situation is approximately the same on Cayo Santa Maria. So we can say that virtually all of the damage caused by Hurricane Irma had been repaired in Cuba. There were people who did not believe that restoration work would be carried out so quickly, but even skeptics, having seen how much has already been done, no longer doubt that November 15th. The last hotel will open after reconstruction,” he outlined the situation.

While the restoration work was going on, the northern islands did not receive tourists at all, even the airport in Cayo Coco was closed, although all transport communications, including the dams connecting the islands, were quickly restored.

“I would like to emphasize that hotels that were awaiting scheduled repairs also fell into the disaster zone, so in many structures not only were they eliminating the consequences of the hurricane, but they were also undergoing regular reconstruction. So most of the accommodation places are now even better than they were. Those tourists those who know these destinations well will be pleasantly surprised by visiting the renovated hotels,” the diplomat noted.

Tourist safety

The representative of Cuba assured that tourists in Cuba will not have to worry about their safety.

"Crime in Cuba is very low. This is the safest country in Latin America, so it is ideal for a family holiday. There you can walk around the cities and talk with people with complete peace of mind. Cubans are very welcoming and friendly, but they have a special sympathy for Russians. This has become the result of many years of relations between our countries,” he explained.

According to Riveron, Cuba has good security services for local residents and tourists.

“Their representatives are always present at all sites in the country, especially in tourist places. Hotels and airports must have security, surveillance cameras, etc. In terms of security, Cuba is a very stable and friendly country. I advise all my friends in Russia, come to Cuba - visit a country where you are loved,” he said.

Popularity of Cuba

According to Riveron, the growing interest of Russian consumers in the Cuban tourist destination was influenced by several factors. “On the one hand, the economy of Russia itself has become more stable, the ruble exchange rate is strengthening, on the other hand, due to sanctions and due to the tightening of the rules for issuing American visas, some Russians have turned their attention to Cuba,” he believes.

The diplomat recalled that among the Caribbean countries, Cuba offers the best value for money, and vacationing there is noticeably cheaper than its neighbors in the region.

He clarified that the success of the Cuban destination is due not only to the prices of local hotels, but also to the fact that after the bankruptcy of Transaero, new players from among Russian tour operators appeared on the Cuban market, such as ANEX Tour, which provide direct air transportation to Cuba.

“Just now, literally on October 24, a new flight program from St. Petersburg to Varadero began. This is very important, since there have been no flights from the Northern capital to Cuba for many years. There are already flights to Cayo Coca, which is very important for us, since Russians will be able to get to know not only Havana and Varadero, but also other areas of Cuba. We think that Cayo Santa Maria and other places will eventually become destinations for charter flights from Russia. There are more than 10 airports in Cuba that can accept international long-haul flights. flights," a Cuban embassy spokesman said.

Hurricane Irma struck the provinces of Ciego de Avila and Camagüey (Cuba) during these hours and intensified to a maximum of category five. The wind speed at the epicenter reaches 257 km/h (71 m/s), with gusts up to 313 km/h (87 m/s).

In connection with the state of alarm in Cuba, emergency measures have been introduced that provide for the evacuation of the population from the most dangerous areas, a complete ban on the movement of vehicles and shutdown of power grids for security reasons.

An “awareness level” has been introduced about the disaster in the Cuban provinces of Sancti Spiritus, Cienfuegos and Matanzas, located to the west. They were advised to: prepare shelters, clean the streets and stockpile food supplies and fuel.

The number of Cuban residents and tourists evacuated due to the threat of a tsunami has exceeded a million people, civil defense officials of the island nation reported. People were placed in 45 evacuation centers, 39 specialized shelters or in the homes of relatives. People help each other because by helping others, you help yourself!

Earlier, a tropical storm hit the provinces of Guantanamo, Holguin and Las Tunas in eastern Cuba, indicating the approach of Hurricane Irma.

Cuban authorities are also saving animals from Hurricane Irma. For example, six dolphins were transported to safety by helicopter from a dolphinarium in the resort of Cayo Guillermo in the province of Ciego de Avila.

The consequences of storm waves in Baracoa, Cuba's Guantanamo province.

Considering the increasing intensity of climate disasters on Earth, now more than ever, it is important for us, people, to understand who we are and why we were really given this life. Deep and honest answers to these key questions for everyone are given in a unique film on the AllatRa TV channel. This is more than a movie, it's a living book: