Nearly fifty sports facilities in Artemisa suffered severe damages due to Hurricane Rafael, ranging from structural collapses to the loss of equipment. Nelson Lara García, the region's sports director, informed Radio Rebelde of the destruction left in Rafael’s wake, affecting 48 locations, including the renowned 26 de Julio Baseball Stadium.
Additional reports indicate that baseball stadiums in Güira de Melena (Tricontinental) and San Antonio de los Baños (Julio Pérez) were also impacted. These losses, some partial and others total, have significantly disrupted spaces essential for physical activities and community well-being.
Guillermo Rodriguez Hidalgo, a state-affiliated journalist, shared images on Facebook that vividly depict the devastation to several structures. The hurricane made landfall around 4:20 p.m. last Wednesday as a Category 3 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale, later exiting the country as a Category 2 storm by 7:00 p.m. through the Bahía de Cabañas in Artemisa.
Social media users have posted graphic evidence of the hurricane's destruction across multiple municipalities in this western region, as well as in Havana and Mayabeque. According to reports from the Cuban regime, the most significant damages in Artemisa are concentrated on hospitals, schools, service centers, housing, roofs, and the electrical grid.