Thought this was interesting. From CNN:
Cuba is the largest and most populated island in the Caribbean. Yet, it consistently experiences the lowest death tolls during hurricane season.
According to the United Nations, it's not because Cubans are lucky, but because they're prepared.
"We were prepared for a big one. And big, it was," says this man of Hurricane Ivan. He and nearly two million others were evacuated from low-lying areas and fragile buildings ahead of the hurricane. Nobody was killed.
Preparations for a hurricane start well in advance. The same system that gives the communist state total, political and economic control is used efficiently to mobilize the nation to face natural disasters.
State-run television and the Civil Defense Authority bombard the population with information and instructions about what measures to take.
On every block, there's a person assigned to take a census on who is being evacuated to which shelter, with special attention paid to the elderly and pregnant women.
"We have a list and tell each person where they have to go. And, there they're taken care of," says Janse Perez.
In the fishing village of La Coloma, which is vulnerable to hurricane flooding, a massive evacuation was mandatory -- the police and army responsible for guaranteeing there was no looting. Electricity is cut ahead of the hurricane to prevent electrocutions.
After Hurricane Ivan, the seaside village of Las Canas looked like a ghost town -- its residents evacuated days earlier. But, while many lost much of their belongings, at least no one had to cry over the loss of a loved one.
Topic: Re: Cuba and hurricanes (Read 2623 times)