Central America: Hurricane Michelle

200 km/h winds lash Cuba, Honduras and Nicaragua, causing 500,000 evacuees and 12 dead.

The devastating hurricane Michelle, one of the most violent to hit Central America in the last half century, swept across Honduras and Nicaragua on November 2nd, killing 12 people, causing millions of dollars of damage and leaving many thousands homeless.

Today, November 5th, Michelle is positioned over Cuba, travelling at between 20 and 25 km/h with winds at around 210 km/h, according to the Cuban Meteorological Office.

500,000 people have been evacuated in government-organised civil protection programmes in the West and Centre of the island and 150,000 have been evacuated from the capital, Havana. The Cuban Tourist office declared that the 10,000 foreign tourists in Vanadero are “perfectly well protected”.

The Florida-based National Hurricane Centre declared today that the situation in Cuba is classified as a “disaster”, although there are no further reports of victims.

Marcia MIRANDA PRAVDA.Ru BRAZIL