Hurricane Irma is in Cuba now. Lucky ones. Ulyanovsk residents miraculously escaped Hurricane Irma in Cuba. Hotel reopenings on Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo
Hurricane Irma affected the northern coast of Cuba on the night of Friday to Saturday, September 9, and moved further to the west of the island, already slightly weakened. The wind speed at the initial contact of the hurricane with the island was 209 km/h. Cuban authorities have closed Havana airport.
In Havana itself, hundreds of buildings were destroyed and damaged. Several dozen settlements and resorts in the north of the island were damaged, from where about 10 thousand people were evacuated on Saturday. Hurricane Irma moved toward Florida on Sunday.
HOW MANY RUSSIAN TOURISTS ARE IN CUBA NOW?
It is estimated that the share of organized Russian tourist flow in Cuba is more than 90%. According to Edilberto Lyon, a representative of Cuban tourism in Moscow, there may currently be from 1,200 to 1,500 organized Russian tourists. At the same time, organized tourists from Russia are concentrated in the resorts of Varadero, Cayo Coco and Cayo Santa Maria. Independent tourists usually stay in Havana. He found it difficult to name the exact number of Russians traveling around Cuba now. However, based on the predominance of organized tourist flow, we can assume that it is only slightly higher than the figure indicated above.
DYNAMICS OF RUSSIAN TOURIST FLOW TO CUBA
According to the latest data from Cuban statistics, more than 52 thousand Russian tourists visited Cuba in the first half of 2017. This is 2.2 times more than it was in January-June 2016, and 2.3 times more than it was for the same period in 2014. Thus, today Russia, based on the same statistics, is among the TOP 15 largest inbound tourism markets for Cuba with 12th place. Canada leads the inbound tourist flow to Cuba; the top five countries also include Spain, France, Italy and Germany.
According to Rosstat, for January-June 2017, 39 thousand were recorded. Russian trips to Cuba. Although the absolute figures are slightly lower than those in Cuba, the increase is similar: 216% in annual terms (18 thousand trips for the same period in 2016). According to Cuban forecasts, the number of Russian tourists by the end of 2017 could reach 80 thousand people.
Cuba's hurricane season runs from July to November, with September and October considered the months with the highest chance of cyclone formation. Additionally, these months tend to have more rainfall due to tropical storms.
It's worth noting that hurricanes in Cuba are not life-threatening, but they may mean you need to reconsider your vacation plans. We believe that during hurricane season in Cuba it is better to come to this island for at least 10 days, as there is a risk of spending up to 4-5 days in a hotel. Imagine that you came to Cuba for a week, and were only able to spend 1-2 days on the beach. Few people will be happy with this prospect.
Cuba is very well prepared for hurricanes, and every hotel has people in charge of evacuations. However, in most cases, when a hurricane hits, hotel staff will only advise you not to go outside.
Hurricane Irma in Cuba
Since Hurricane Irma in 2017 is already considered one of the most powerful last years, it is not surprising that he frightened many tourists who are going or are on vacation in Cuba.
When will Hurricane Irma hit Cuba? It is already approaching the island, and will pass in close proximity to it in the next couple of days.
Let's look at Hurricane Irma's predicted path. As you can see in the image below, the hurricane will pass between the Bahamas and Cuba, closer to the latter. As you can see in the picture, there will be a hurricane near Varadero in the afternoon of September 9th. It is clearly visible that the red level of danger is observed along the entire coast of Florida and on the part of the coast of Cuba where Varadero is located. Havana, judging by the image, remains clear of the hurricane.
Of course, those tourists who are now in Varadero, and those who are going to fly on vacation to this resort area of Cuba, are not in the best mood now, since the red danger level is serious. However, as we can see, Hurricane Irma's danger category should drop to 4. Although hurricanes in this category are also very powerful, the wind speed will not be the highest. Secondly, we see that the hurricane, before reaching Varadero, should turn north towards Florida. If everything happens this way, then Hurricane Irma will only slightly affect famous resort in Cuba. Recently, a hurricane passed near the Dominican Republic, and the resorts of this country were practically unaffected by it. So let's hope that Hurricane Irma in Cuba also does not leave serious marks.
On this moment Hurricane Irma warning in Cuba is in effect for provinces Camagüey, Ciego de Avila, Sancti Spiritus and Villa Clara.
As for the situation in Varadero, my friend said that they are preparing for a hurricane here. Local residents board up their windows and remove all things from the street that could fly away. In addition, store shelves in Varadero and other cities in the region are emptying.
For now, all that remains is to prepare for the hurricane and hope that it will pass by or will not be very destructive.
We will try to keep you up to date with the latest developments. If something changes fundamentally, we will inform you.
Situation as of 12:30 Moscow time
We managed to contact a friend who lives in the city of Santa Clara. A hurricane should arrive there soon. According to my friend, everyone in the city is ready for serious destruction; no one has any illusions that the hurricane will pass without a trace. According to him, flooding is observed in many areas around the islands of Cayo Romano and Cayo Coco. However, no serious damage is known yet. As for the forecasts, they are ambiguous. On the one hand, there is a forecast according to which Hurricane Irma in Cuba will turn north just before Varadero and only slightly hit this resort:
But, on the other hand, there is a forecast according to which the epicenter of the hurricane will pass just over Varadero, and only then turn towards west coast Florida:
In any case, this is not the first time that a hurricane has come to Cuba, so there is no doubt that hotels in Varadero and other resort areas of Cuba are built to withstand the most severe hurricane.
Today, Saturday, Hurricane Irma hit Cuba with deafening winds and relentless rain. The water level has risen, causing flooding. As a result, thousands of houses were flooded and power supply was cut off in some areas. In another part of the Caribbean islands, people already reeling from Irma's wrath are bracing for a second strike - Hurricane Jose .
Irma turned Liberty Island into chaos . The winds were so strong that they broke trees, knocked down poles and carried debris through the air at great speed. Eyewitnesses told the AP news agency that the provincial museum, which was located near the epicenter of the storm, now lies in ruins.
According to preliminary data, Hurricane Irma claimed at least 20 lives before he left the Caribbean islands and headed for Florida. Forecasters say the storm has slowed after hitting north coast Cuba, but wind speeds will likely pick up again as we approach the Sunshine State.
Fortunately for Miami residents, Irma has changed course and is now threatening to hit the area with full force. Tampa .
Forecasters predicted Hurricane Irma would be centered in the Florida Keys on Sunday before hitting southwest Florida, moving to the Gulf Coast and hitting the Tampa Bay area. The storm's center is expected to bypass Miami, but the city will still be exposed to life-threatening hurricane winds .
Tampa hasn't been in the path of a major hurricane since 1921, when the city's population was about 10,000. Currently, this area has approximately 3 million inhabitants and covers two largest cities Florida: Tampa and St. Petersburg.
The hurricane's abrupt change in course came as a surprise to Tampa Bay residents. Entrepreneur Jeff Beerbohm planned to ride out the storm in his high-rise condominium in downtown St. Petersburg. He carefully prepared for the “siege”, however, now he is forced to quickly evacuate, gathering at the last moment.
As part of one of the largest evacuations ever announced in the US, approx. 6.3 million people in Florida, more than a quarter of the state's population was forced to flee their homes, and another 540,000 people fled the Georgia coast. The authorities are opening hundreds of shelters for those who were unable or did not have time to leave. Hotels as far away as Atlanta are filled with evacuees.
With winds whose speed reaches 185 mph , Irma became the most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the open Atlantic. And given the size and strength of this hurricane and its projected course, it may well be one of the most destructive hurricanes that have ever hit Florida.
The deadly Hurricane Irma virtually wiped out several Caribbean islands, making them uninhabitable. The death toll is growing. Now Irma is moving towards Cuba, the Bahamas and the US state of Florida. There is mass evacuation everywhere.
The Dominican Republic, where many of our tourists are, was hit tangentially by the hurricane. But airliner departures are still postponed. At the same time, compatriots complain that some hotels have begun to demand additional payment for accommodation.
Perhaps the only good news from the Caribbean at this hour was that the deadly Irma, it seems, contrary to many forecasts, spared the Dominicans and the army of thousands of tourists, including about five thousand Russians. At least for this hour it is known that there are no deaths, despite the fact that the most powerful hurricane - the fifth category - led to serious destruction.
To many Caribbean islands and the states had it much worse. From everywhere, one after another, messages are coming in about catastrophic destruction and more and more victims of the disaster. Irma literally leveled thousands of homes in Barbuda, St. Maarten and St. Barthelemy. Local authorities say that more than 90 percent of the infrastructure has been destroyed and all three islands are now unsuitable for human life.
“What I saw there was simply heartbreaking. The destruction is unprecedented. We will have to evacuate all remaining residents. And it is unknown when they will be able to return back. For us, this hurricane was the most terrible ordeal in history,” says Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne.
In the last hours, Irma tormented the Turk and Caicos islands, the consequences are not yet known, however, judging by the video footage, local residents and the tourists had a hard time.
Next in the path of the hurricane were Haiti, where authorities declared a state of emergency and hastily evacuated the population. In Cuba and the Bahamas, they are still just preparing for the arrival of Irma. Cuban authorities urgently evacuated more than 50 thousand tourists from the coast and put rescuers, police and public services on full alert.
“We are very afraid of what might happen. And we understand that we are practically powerless against the elements. A hurricane of the highest category five is approaching us. We don’t know how this will end,” says Clement Orama.
Until the last moment, the American Hurricane Center hoped that Irma might turn east and pass Florida. However, these hopes are fading by the hour, weakening slightly, then intensifying again, the hurricane is inexorably moving towards this densely populated state and will reach its shores on Sunday morning.
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, it is very difficult to get to. 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 was directly hit by 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 general director hotel, about 40 rooms will have to be renovated; 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 drinks. It is planned that it will soon be able to operate as usual.
Paradisus Varadero– the roof was partially demolished, and the main building was also badly damaged by the wind, new restaurant, which was 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 and leaking ceilings in their rooms.
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.