In the past few hours, at least two buildings have collapsed in Havana due to the intense rains brought by Hurricane Helene as it skirted the western edge of Cuba.
Arlenis Duarte Diego reported on Facebook about a partial collapse on Thursday of a building that has been unoccupied for over seven years. A section of the building fell and injured a nearby resident. The image she posted shows the structure with chunks of concrete that had fallen onto the street. "It seems like they're waiting for this building to kill more people. Another piece just fell and injured someone. How much longer do we have to wait?" she questioned, highlighting the apparent negligence of the authorities who have delayed demolishing the building.
Meanwhile, Ransel Londres, an official profile, stated on the same social media network that firefighters were working on another collapse that happened at 211 Factoria Street, at the corner of Arsenal, in Old Havana. This incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of the morning, and it is not yet clear if there were any injuries or fatalities. He confirmed that Public Health and Interior Ministry forces were already on-site following the emergency.
Impact of Hurricane Helene in Western Cuba
The western region of Cuba has been experiencing heavy rains due to Hurricane Helene, which passed near Pinar del Río as a Category 1 storm and is now strengthening as it moves towards the United States. Tele Pinar reported that in the coastal town of Cortés, the sea remains turbulent, and there were also building collapses on Wednesday.
In Los Palacios municipality, local authorities reported rising water levels in reservoirs and rivers following the heavy rains.
Helene's Path and Intensification
Tropical Storm Helene evolved into a Category 1 hurricane on Wednesday and continued to intensify on Thursday, reaching Category 3 status. It is expected to make landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida as a powerful Category 4 hurricane.
The National Hurricane Center issued a warning, cautioning that Helene could bring a "potentially deadly" storm surge of 15 to 20 feet in some parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast. Although landfall is anticipated on Thursday night, Helene's effects will likely be felt much earlier due to its unusual size.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Helene's wind field extends up to 275 miles from its center.