Posted on Tue, Sep. 09, 2008
By CAMMY CLARK, ELAINE DE VALLE AND EVAN S. BENN
ebenn@MiamiHerald.com
Hurricane Ike made a second Cuban landfall Tuesday in the western Pinar
Del Río province after killing four people across the island nation and
blowing tropical storm-force winds into the Keys.
Because the storm's outer bands aren't expected to fully clear the Keys
until Wednesday, Monroe County schools will remain closed another day
and reopen Thursday.
The Category 1 storm was moving northwest through Cuba, its eye passing
about 50 miles from Havana, and was expected to emerge in the Gulf of
Mexico later Tuesday. Ike could restrengthen to a major Category 3
hurricane by the time it makes a Gulf Coast landfall, which could be
early Saturday in Texas.
A 75-mph wind gust was reported Tuesday in Havana, while a Key West
weather station had a 54-mph gust.
People in Key West woke up Tuesday to some wind, a little rain and no
major damage. There was some flooding and debris littered the southeast
end of the island, caused primarily from high tides and rough surf
washing up on the road, but rain was light.
For many locals, the windy morning was a chance to walk their dogs and
get a glimpse of Mother Nature at work.
''We all want to go surfing, but it's a little too rough,'' Christy
Moseley said. ``And it's too windy to surf. It's hard to just stand here
and not get blown away.''
Marianne Brassard, a painting contractor, chimed in: ``Too windy to go
kiteboarding, too.''
But it wasn't too windy to skateboard. One shirtless teenage boy was
doing so down Duval Street, taking advantage of the low traffic on the
usually busy main tourist drag.
Monroe County authorities said residents who evacuated should remain at
a safe distance until the storm passes and an all-clear is given, likely
Wednesday.
And once Ike clears, the tropics might stay quiet for the near future.
There are no weather disturbances currently on the radar between Africa
and the Caribbean.
''Looks like we're going to have a lull for at least a week,'' Florida
meteorologist Ben Nelson said.
Ike prompted the evacuation of an estimated 1.2 million people in Cuba,
who were ordered to seek safety with friends, relatives or at government
shelters.
The government closed schools and government offices in the capital of
Havana as people reinforced windows with wood and formed long lines at
bakeries. Along the seaside Malecon promenade, businesses were being
shut down.
Nancy Nazal, who lives on the second floor of a high-rise apartment in
Havana, said authorities told her to be prepared to evacuate.
''The truth is, we are scared,'' she said.
Hurricane Ike demolished many homes in the Turks and Caicos Islands and
southern Bahamas. Its rains helped contribute to flooding that killed at
least 331 people in Haiti.
Ike made landfall in eastern Cuba as a powerful Category 3 storm late
Sunday and has raked west across the country.
In Santa Cruz del Sur in Camagüey, state media said the sea had
penetrated nearly a half-mile inland. Neighborhoods surrounding the
River Jatibonico were flooded.
''The old houses couldn't take it and collapsed,'' Manolo Banegas said
in a telephone interview from Camagüey. ''Many of the rivers are
overflowing in the outskirts of the city. In the suburbs, streets are
even more flooded.'' Also in the central part of Camagüey, there were
reports that the wind blew the roof off the historic theater built in
1850. The cultural center and bank were also seriously damaged, and the
cupolas of historic buildings were smashed.
''It sounded like a cat in a lot of pain,'' Elena Martínez said by
telephone from Camagüey. Her husband climbed their roof early Monday to
survey damage and saw torn roofs for several blocks.
''In my whole life, I've never seen anything like this,'' Juan Carlos
Figueira, 40, said from Holguín, where Ike made its first Cuban
landfall. ``There are many houses partially knocked down, trees are
knocked down. There are many telephone lines on the ground. We don't
have electricity since yesterday and don't know when we will get it
back, because many posts are down.''
Miami Herald staff writers Liza Gross, Frances Robles, Marc Caputo,
Charles Rabin, translator Renato Pérez and The Associated Press
contributed to this report.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking-news/story/678319.html
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