Recovery phase advances in Cuba after the passage of hurricane Rafael

President Miguel Diaz-Canel leads the recovery actions at the national level. (Photo: Presidency of Cuba).

November 7, 2024 Hour: 4:51 pm

The Ministry of Energy and Mines reported that in an area of the department of Matanzas to Sancti Spíritus, the electric service has been restored.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on Wednesday that the damage caused by hurricane Rafael in western Cuba was assessed early in the morning.

“The recovery is focused on Artemisa, Havana and Mayabeque. The SEN is already being set up from the center to the east, and the damage in the west is being assessed to begin recovery there as well. We are standing and fighting,” the president said on his social networks.

#HurricaneRafael | Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel (@DiazCanelB) reported via #Telegram that the damage caused by #Rafael has been assessed since early Thursday. The president also noted that the recovery is focused on the provinces of #Artemisa, #Havana and #Mayabeque pic.twitter.com/3atsE4HarF
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) November 7, 2024

Since early hours of this morning, the Defense Councils of the affected provinces met to take measures aimed at the recovery phase, which formally began at 10:00 a.m. (local time) today.

According to Cuban television, Artemisa, the province where the meteor entered, has collapsed several high voltage towers (22,000 volts) that carry electricity to Pinar del Río, where specialists from the Ministry of Energy and Mines are already working.

#Cuba | President Miguel Diaz-Canel and the National Defense Council met to assess the damage caused by Rafael, a Category 3 hurricane that passed through the western part of the island, leaving significant impacts on homes, infrastructure, and crops. #HurricaneRafael pic.twitter.com/aqiqD9Kd55
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) November 7, 2024

From the department of Mayabeque, the vice president of the National Defense Council, Salvador Valdés Mesa, pointed out the order and organizational capacity of the authorities to protect material goods and save human lives, while urging them to work to reverse the negative effects of Rafael on agriculture and the destruction of homes.

In that department, the boats continue to be well protected, as well as the containers, means and resources of the fishing companies.

Cuba advances in the reconnection of the electrical system

In the most recent update from the General Directorate of Electricity of the Ministry of Energy and Mines, it was reported that in an area of the department of Matanzas in Sancti Spíritus, the electrical service has been restored and progress is being made to Ciego de Ávila.

According to the director of Electricity of the entity, Lázaro Guerra, at this time work is being done to reach Holguín, in eastern Cuba.

“We have two units starting up, which have their boilers on at this time: Guiteras and Unit Number 6 of Nuevitas, which is not yet integrated into the central zone microsystem, which is the largest. We are with an independent system. We are finalizing that we are going to reach the Nuevitas thermoelectric plant with the central system to synchronize both to that more robust subsystem, in order to be able to reach Felton and the easternmost area of the country,” Guerra explained.