Tornado killed at least three people and injured more than 170 in Havana

January 28, 2019 – 07:28
Last night, a tornado hit several parts of the Cuban capital, destroying several houses, public places and cars.

"We are visiting places affected by the intense atmospheric phenomenon in Regla", in the province of La Habana, in the west of the island, said the country's president, Miguel Díaz-Canel. "The damage is significant, we regret the loss of 3 people and 172 wounded, and several brigades are already working on the restoration," he added, accompanied by the hashtag #SomosCuba.
According to the Cubadebate official portal, "an intense tornado left Havana without electricity", but "the extent of material and human damage is still unknown". "The strength of tornado winds can be compared to that of a category 4 or 5 hurricane, although its impact is more targeted," the portal added.
Witnesses who shared images on social networks showed the streets of Luyanó district, in the municipality of 10 de Octubre, full of rubble and overturned vehicles. Even some pieces of balconies had caved in and several poles and fallen trees had interrupted the tracks. In addition, the Galician Girls and Mothers Hospital was evacuated due to damage to its facilities. The sound of sirens in the city was constant, firefighters and ambulances moving for rescue operations.

Alarm

The Institute of Meteorology had warned hours before training in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico of an "extratropical minimum" that could cause "electrical storms". The tornado occurred in the middle of this storm that has already hit western Cuba with gusts of up to 100 km / h and penetration of the sea.
Specialist of the Institute of Meteorology, Armando Caymares, explained to the official press that "the people felt like the sound of a powered aircraft and the changes in the pressure of the environment". It was also reported that the phenomenon was due to an extratropical fall down the southeastern Gulf of Mexico and penetrating the west of the island.
"In addition to this tornado, gusts of wind are causing damage to public facilities and the residential sector, while light flooding is affecting various areas of the dike and other low-lying coastal areas," several media reports said.