Cuba seeks to restore services disrupted by Melissa in eastern Cuba

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel reaffirmed the government's commitment to reaching all communities affected by Hurricane Melissa and restoring essential services as quickly as possible.

Early Friday morning, the head of State reported on social media that he and a presidential team had inspected the damage caused by Melissa “on-site” and confirmed that there were “no deaths or missing persons, so far,” he wrote.

Diaz-Canel also stated that the damage was “minimal” to photovoltaic parks. Flooding and downed trees have left some areas isolated.

“We will reach everyone,” he added. “Restoring electricity and communications is a priority.”

This Friday, Cuban authorities intensified recovery efforts in the eastern provinces affected by Hurricane Melissa, which made landfall with maximum sustained winds of 205 kilometers per hour and Category 3 status on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

Preliminary reports of the intense rainfall and strong winds from the cyclonic event include flooding, damage to homes, power lines, and communication routes in the provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Granma, Guantanamo, Holguin, and Las Tunas.