Baracoa, Cuba 6-Months after Ike

Mar 28, 2009

By Elio Delgado

HAVANA TIMES, March 28 – The picturesque city of Baracoa, located in the far eastern province of Guantanamo, was seriously affected in 2008 by two weather events. First a sea surge in March wreaked havoc in coastal areas; then hurricane Ike caused enormous damage in September.

The coastal streets of Baracoa received considerable damage but repairs are bring new optimism.

A total of 6,157 homes in the municipality were damaged in one way or another, of which 3,459 have been repaired.

According to the latest statistics 98.3 percent of the houses that suffered partial roof damage were repaired and 90.6 percent of those that lost their entire roofs. Of the homes with partial structural damage 64.2 percent have been repaired, and 14.2 percent of the totally destroyed homes have been rebuilt.

Many Baracoas apartment buildings have gotten a fresh coat of paint — Many Baracoa's apartment buildings have gotten a fresh coat of paint.

Six months after Ike, the reconstruction work continues in Baracoa as well as a special beautification campaign of apartment buildings and public areas to create an atmosphere that gets beyond the losses suffered.

Fourteen percent of the totally destroyed homes in Baracoa have been rebuilt.

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