Whether to go now to Cuba after Irma. Russian tourists told how they escaped from Irma in Cuba. What is the state of Cuba's tourism infrastructure?
Huge waves tore apart the waterfront of the old colonial city after the northern coast of the island was swept away by a storm blow. Residents of the Cuban capital were waist-deep in water. Communications of Havana are completely destroyed.
“This is a terrible disaster, since most buildings are not ready for the elements and will not withstand the flood,” says Cuban Yanmara Suarez, standing chest-deep in water.
Express info by country
Cuba(Republic of Cuba) is an island nation 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 have lived here, this has happened for the first time,” says Ernesto Losa, whose house, fortunately, was on a hill and suffered the least damage. “Ocean levels have always risen, but there has never been a flood.”
Cuban authorities said that in the capital, wind speeds reached 150 km / h. On Sunday, Havana was left without electricity, water supply and telephone communications interrupted. In some places ocean water rose higher than 500 m. The municipality of the city reports that the situation will not improve until Tuesday.
Irma razed the center of Cuba to the ground on Saturday - razing roofs, uprooting trees, breaking power lines. Cuban media reported that wind speeds reached 256 km/h. The authorities evacuated about a million people, of which about 4 thousand from coastal areas And tourist centers. No casualties have been reported 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 - to 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 the Ebola fever, and 1,200 Cuban doctors ended up in Haiti after the earthquake in 2010. Who will come to the aid of Cuba today?
IN WHAT STATE IS THE TOURIST INFRASTRUCTURE OF CUBA
Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo suffered the most from Hurricane Irma that passed through Cuba - here, eyewitnesses report, the infrastructure is almost 100% destroyed and there is still not even electricity. Tour operators who put their own in Cuba (ANEX Tour, Pegas Touristik) planned to start flight programs on Cayo Coco since October.
Representatives of the tour operator said that now tourists you can rest b in the following hotels (and travel agents, respectively, sell tours in 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 repair does not interfere with the rest of tourists: the pool, beach bars, a la carte restaurants, etc. are being restored somewhere.
Pegas Touristik also reports on the facts of the resettlement of tourists from hotels damaged by Irma.
“The check-in of tourists is carried out in coordination with our host company. We do not accommodate tourists in hotels with destroyed infrastructure. All tourists whose booked hotels were affected by the hurricane are offered other accommodation facilities of a similar star rating,” Anna Podgornaya explained.
Similar information is given in ICS Travel Group. “From the hotels, which are now undergoing forced repairs, tourists were settled in other hotels of the corresponding category,” the company told Vestnik ATOR.
According to the Ministry of Tourism of Cuba, in Varadero, all hotels in the Melia chain are open and operate normally, with the exception of the Paradisus Varadero, Melia Peninsula Varadero and Royal Service Paradisus Prinncesa del Mar hotels. Among the most serious damages is the damage to the dome of the Meli Hotel? Varadero. They promise to fix it within a month.
Hotel holding Iberostar announced that almost all hotels in Varadero and Havana have returned to normal operation. Currently, only Iberostar Alameda and Habana Riviera by Iberostar are closed for emergency repairs.
As the Minister of Tourism of Cuba, Manuel Marrero Cruz, stressed, "there is no disaster in hotels in Cuba." According to him, tour operators of some countries, for example, Canada, from where the most a large number of tourists, launch flight programs to Cuban destinations this Friday.
WHAT WITH FLIGHT PROGRAMS ON
HAVANA, 11 September. /Corr. TASS Andrey Bekrenev/. The devastating hurricane Irma is already raging over Florida, but the severe flooding it caused continues in the Cuban capital.
The famous Havana's Malecon promenade and many streets along coastline. According to meteorologists, waves up to 11 meters high hit the city on Saturday, water penetrated deeper into Havana for more than half a kilometer.
"TASS/Ruptly/Reuters/CCTV"
In some areas, such as central Vedado, people move waist-deep or even chest-deep in water. Cars, furniture, fragments of the roof are floating along the streets. Some Havanese move around the city in makeshift boats.
“I have lived in Havana all my life, but this is the first time I see this. After heavy rains, we often experience flooding, but there has never been such a flood. In some areas, the first floors of houses are completely flooded,” a resident of Vedado told a TASS correspondent.
The city is de-energized
Most of the city has been de-energized for more than a day. The Chairman of the State Council and the Council of Ministers of Cuba, Raul Castro, ordered that all forces be thrown into the restoration of broken power lines.
The epicenter of the hurricane did not approach the Cuban capital closer than 200 km, but in the city of two million, located on the Atlantic coast, it blew all Saturday squally wind, it was raining heavily.
Many buildings on the embankment were damaged, including hotels and the US Embassy. In many places where the water has already receded, it is impossible to pass by car due to broken trees blocking the road.
In connection with weather conditions international Airport José Marti Havana will be closed until 12 noon (19:00 Moscow time) on September 11. Aeroflot's Sunday flight from Moscow to Havana and back was cancelled.
Large-scale evacuation
Residents and authorities of the Cuban capital a few days before the approach of "Irma" began to take serious precautions. Public utilities cleared storm drains, trimmed tree limbs, covered the windows of the buildings on the Malecon with plywood sheets, and reinforced the buildings with sandbags.
About 10 thousand people were evacuated from coastal areas in safe places. Currently, reinforced police squads are on duty on the streets of the city to prevent looting. Not all evacuees have yet been able to return to their homes.
Destruction at the resorts
"Irma", which raged in Cuba for two days, caused serious damage to the tourist infrastructure on the famous resort islands Cayo Coco and Cayo Santa Maria located near north coast countries. Apparently, some hotels there will have to be rebuilt almost anew. The airport serving these islands is almost completely destroyed.
All tourists, including Russian ones, were evacuated from the resorts in advance. According to the Russian embassy in Cuba, the Russians were not injured during the passage of the Irma.
It turned out to be flooded and popular resort Varadero, located 140 km east of Havana. However, there is much less destruction and many vacationers have already returned to the beaches.
No casualties, damage counted
Element inflicted island nation very serious damage, the amount of which has yet to be calculated. But thanks to the measures that were taken in the country before the arrival of the hurricane, the victims, according to preliminary data, were avoided.
Due to the approach of the Irma, a total of more than a million people were evacuated in Cuba. The civil defense forces have equipped in many settlements special shelters with supplies of water, food and medicine for several days.
According to the authorities, "Irma" caused serious damage to crops in the central part of the country, in particular, plantings of sugar cane, bananas and tobacco.
Before coming to Cuba, "Irma" raged in the region for several days Caribbean, causing great damage to Puerto Rico, as well as the islands owned by Britain, the Netherlands and France. According to the latest data, at least 24 people died in the Caribbean as a result of the passage of the hurricane.
Hurricane Irma became tourist Cuba a real blow. Tourists post photos of destroyed lobbies and rooms with broken windows and broken furniture on social networks. We can agree that such posts cannot reflect the real picture of the state of the resort. What is happening in Varadero now, decided to personally find out the Spanish travel agent - he drove around the hotels and posted a report on tripadvisor. We invite you to familiarize yourself with it in order to decide whether it is worth going to Cuba now.
"Irma" roamed
According to the travel agent, the elements not only worked on the hotels, but also literally filled up the entire resort with debris, stones and fallen trees. Despite the fact that Varadero Airport should be open any day, getting to it is very difficult. The road is blocked by fallen electric poles and various debris. The city itself was also badly damaged. There are problems with electricity, some shops do not work.
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 electricity supply. Most hotels run on backup power generators. Cellular communication and the Internet are available with large interruptions.
In his report, the travel agent notes that most of the guests are in their rooms, as authorities ask 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 on the heads
In addition to the general assessment, the travel agent spoke about the state of the most popular hotels in the resort. Many of them are badly damaged, but there are those that were practically not affected by Hurricane Irma.
Blau Marina Varadero- the hotel received serious damage, as it is located right on the tip of the peninsula and came under direct attack from the Irma. In the main building, the roof and glass doors were destroyed by the wind. There are also damages in the rooms themselves. The waves washed away the beach.
Melia Marina Varadero– windows are broken in some rooms, balconies are damaged, but the most damage can be seen in the common areas of the hotel, especially in 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 great damage to the roof, gardens and pools of the hotel. According to CEO hotel, about 40 rooms will have to be repaired, in particular, windows are broken. But in general, there are no serious structural damages. However, access to the beach is practically blocked.
Memories Varadero– The hotel is in relatively good condition. Some restoration work will be required in corridors, public areas and rooms on the upper floors, where leaks in the ceiling can only be repaired after a complete roof replacement. At present, the hotel has already opened a lobby bar without alcoholic drinks. It is planned that soon he will be able to work as usual.
Paradisus Varadero– partially demolished roof on the roof, also main building badly damaged by the wind new restaurant, which was being built near the beach, collapsed. Apparently, the restoration of the hotel will cost the owner a large sum.
Royalton Hicacos- Another hotel that has received a lot of damage. Because of the waves beach area blurred. The restaurant on the beach is partially destroyed, the roof is torn off in places. The Caribeño restaurant has broken windows. The territory of the hotel is littered with rubble.
Iberostar Varadero- part of the bungalows had thatched roofs blown away, those that were located by 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. Fallen trees throughout. Nevertheless, the restaurant works and provides guests with food.
ROC Arenas Doradas– The hotel is in relatively good condition. In some places, air conditioners were torn down, but there was no significant damage.
Melia Las Antillas– the hotel was also almost not damaged. 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 unaffected by the hurricane.
Starfish Varadero- No major damage was noted.
Brisas del Caribe– Rooms and lobby heavily damaged. During the inspection, several tourists were seen waiting to be resettled due to broken glass in their rooms and leaking ceilings.
Iberostar Laguna Azul– the hotel is located on a hill, but did not receive serious damage, despite the open location. However, several bungalows are completely destroyed, the roof was torn off the restaurant.
Starfish Cuatro Palmas The hotel has been evacuated. A cursory inspection showed partial damage to the façade.
At the end of his note, the travel agent predicted that the repair of all damage would take at least a few months. This is due to the fact that the priority is the restoration of 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, in case of refusal of tourists from tours to the island, cancellations will occur in a standard format, taking into account the actual costs incurred by the tour operator. Therefore, to sell Cuba now or not, the travel agent must decide on his own.
Category 5 hurricane Irma hit Cuba on Saturday night, washing away seaside towns and causing flooding in the low-lying areas of the capital Havana. hurricane winds more than 200 Km/h tore off the roofs of houses, pulled trees out of the ground. Forced evacuation along the coast was required.
Irma is now on her way to the US mainland, and on Monday night, hurricane warnings for Cuba in the provinces of Matanzas and Havana were discontinued.
But the rain is expected to continue into Wednesday. Authorities are warning of flash floods and landslides amid efforts to rebuild and clean up areas. At this time, Hurricane Jose continues in the Atlantic and does not yet threaten Cuba in any way.
Even this huge tree could not withstand Hurricane Irma.
Most people in coastal zone live in one-story houses, at the risk of flood water rising to roof level in some places. Residents were amazed at the damage and say it will take a long time to recover. Many left the city before the storm, and all foreigners were forced to evacuate. Those who remained were prepared, though they knew it would be the storm anyone had ever experienced.
Meanwhile, at dusk on Saturday in Havana, flooding began in the popular waterfront area. The floods continue into Sunday. At the US Embassy in Havana, part of the fence that surrounds the complex has been broken. US Marines and Cuban police surrounded the square.
So far, there have been no reports of deaths in Cuba. Elsewhere, a few days earlier in the Caribbean, 26 deaths were attributed to Irma. Nine were in various French territories, in Barbuda, in Anguilla, four in Saint Martin, four in the British Virgin Islands, four in the US Virgin Islands, and three in Puerto Rico.
The Cuban government prepared with provisions and construction equipment before Irma's arrival. Authorities cut off electricity in parts of the city and evacuated about 10,000 people from Central Havana amid fears of a storm, flooding, Reuters reported.
What happened to Cayo Coco after the hurricane
First, Irma hit the archipelago north of Cuba. In the provinces of Camagüey and Ciego de Avila, gusts of wind were so strong in places that they destroyed an instrument used to measure the wind, the Cuban meteorological agency reported.
This is where the other famous resort Cayo Coco, where the damage is very significant. The eye of the hurricane passed along the coast.
Several hotels in Atlantic Ocean, popular with our tourists, suffered significant damage. Recall that the first chartered flight to this island from Moscow was planned for October 12. What happened to the airport can be seen in the footage below.
The Jardines Del Rey airport is in ruins. How long it will take to restore it is still unknown.
At the Pullman Cayo Coco, all guests were evacuated and were not allowed to stay at the hotel. The video shows just this hotel.
It is reported that those who did not reschedule their vacation to other dates were forced to move to other regions of Cuba. detailed stories from eyewitnesses does not come from there, since there is no electricity and communication in Cayo Coco.
Later, the hurricane was recorded in the northern part of the province of Camaguey, the agency notes. Irma was the first Category 5 hurricane to hit Camagüey for the first time in 85 years, according to the state radio station.
Varadero after Hurricane Irma
Torrential rain and strong Irma wind hit Caibarién, a small coastal town about 320 kilometers east of Havana, late on Friday evening, a hurricane hitting Varadero a little later. The storm cut off the electricity as a preventive measure. IN resort town Varadero, in the province of Matanzas, 14,500 foreign tourists were driving due to a storm, according to the state information organization Granma.
At sunrise on a Saturday, the waves rolled over main street cities. Within a few hours, the entire city was flooded with several meters of water.
Varadero has many large hotel complexes. and strong enough to withstand the elements. Sometimes tourists were offered accommodation in a building instead of a bungalow.
The destruction in Varadero is certainly no less weak.
The beaches of Varadero are the ruins of umbrellas, small buildings are destroyed, in some places dead fish and other marine life.
There were no data on casualties among the population or tourists from Varadero, as well as from other cities in Cuba.
"This complete disaster and it will take a lot of work to get Varadero back on its feet,” said Osmel de Armas, 53, a water photographer who works on the beach at the stricken resort.
For those who think that there was something similar in the Dominican Republic earlier, we will reassure. There was no hurricane in the Dominican Republic northern regions, not in Western. Hurricane Irma was there in the form of rain and strong wind. In Punta Cana the wind was 3-4 times weaker than in Varadero. There were no waves of such strength in the Dominican Republic either, so there are no concerns about holidays in this country.
