- Title: Cuban residents prepare as Irma bears down
- Date: 6th September 2017
- Summary: HAVANA, CUBA (SEPTEMBER 6, 2017) (REUTERS) CUBAN RESIDENTS WAITING IN LINE TO ENTER MARKET STORE SIGN AT ENTRANCE TO MARKET RECENTLY PURCHASED WATER JUGS AND GROCERIES ON STREET WATER JUGS FOR PURCHASE IN STORE WITH PEOPLE PASSING ON STREET IN FOREGROUND (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) HAVANA RESIDENT, GRACIELA GUERRA, SAYING: "The measures we're taking include trying to organise for the family, (get) eggs, the most practical (things) to have at home when the power goes out, right? Because there will be power outages, maybe the gas and water (will be) cut off. That's why we're buying it, too, in case the cisterns get contaminated - and well, (I'm) a little bit scared, yes." VARIOUS, CRUISE SHIP ARRIVING IN HAVANA WOMAN PRACTISING A YORUBA RITUAL AT HAVANA'S JETTY GENERAL VIEW OF HAVANA'S SEASIDE WITH PEOPLE WALKING ON JETTY (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SPANISH TOURIST, OSCAR PAJE, SAYING: "We've been staying more or less informed, and people tell us that everyone is pretty informed. We really didn't know about it until yesterday, and now it's true that any Cuban people we meet tell us that it's going to come, that the Baracoa zone is an area that will be more affected. But, yes, I think the people are informed and that everyone knows more or less what they have to do. Their plan is already agreed to - I don't know if because of the government that everyone knows about it and knows what they have to do." MAN GETTING INTO ANTIQUE TAXI PEOPLE CROSSING STREET AT BUSY INTERSECTION (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) HAVANA RESIDENT, ISABEL CIRO, SAYING: "It's coming from there, Guantanamo, Baracoa, Moa (regions of Cuba), and so you can imagine it's not easy. And, you know they already were battered (by Hurricane Matthew), so you know how it is, they still haven't recovered. And, what's coming (Hurricane Irma), I hope there's a miracle and it would just disappear, and wouldn't touch us, because it's not easy what's coming for us." BOAT SAILING CLOSE TO HAVANA HARBOUR HAVANA'S SEAWALL VIEW OF HAVANA'S SEASIDE
- Embargoed: 20th September 2017 21:28
- Keywords: Cuba Hurricane Irma Caribbean hurricane warning disaster preparation
- Location: HAVANA, CUBA / INTERNET
- City: HAVANA, CUBA / INTERNET
- Country: Cuba
- Topics: Disaster/Accidents,Wind/Hurricane/Typhoons/Tornadoes
- Reuters ID: LVA0016XGN5MV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: CONTAINS MATERIAL ORIGINALLY IN 4:3
Cuban officials issued alerts for the provinces along its west coast on Wednesday (September 6) as the pounding winds, rain, and surging surf from Hurricane Irma are expected to lash the islands across the Greater Antilles over the next few days.
On its current path the core of Irma, which the U.S. National Hurricane Centre said was the strongest Atlantic storm on record, was expected to pass near or just north of Puerto Rico on Wednesday before scraping the north coast of the Dominican Republic on Thursday (September 7).
Cuban emergency officials met on Wednesday (September 6) to discuss plans for handling Hurricane Irma as the storm churned across northern Caribbean islands with a potentially catastrophic mix of fierce winds, surf and rain, en route to a possible Florida landfall at the weekend.
Meanwhile, Cuban residents in Havana were stocking up on water, food and other supplies in preparation for the storm.
Irma ranked as one of the five most powerful Atlantic hurricanes in the last 80 years and the strongest Atlantic storm recorded by the NHC outside the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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