Waterfall in Soroa CubaSOROA HIT BY CUBAN STORM
Tropical Storm Nicole has hit Cuba with a vengeance that has triggered flash flooding in Jamaica and dumped heavy rain on Soroa Cuba, Florida, the Cayman Islands and the Bahamas. After two days Nicole has now disintegrated downward over the Florida Straits, reported the US National Hurricane Centre in Miami.
The hurricane moved on the edge of mild tropical storm strength, prompting a fight between US and Cuban meteorologists as to whether it actually was a hurricane or just a strong storm. Forecasters at the US National Hurricane Center in Havana and Miami placed winds at 85 km per hour, just over the strength
to become a full blown hurricane storm.
Cuban forecasters put the top winds at 68 kph and disagreed that it was a tropical storm when it chrashed into Cuba. The hurricane did not exsist according to Cuba's top meteorologist, Jorge Rubiera, who was seen on Cuba TV. In Jamaica, the storm caused heavy flooding that drowned two elderly men and a poor family of six.
HURRICANE WELCOMED IN SOROA CUBA
In Cuba, heaviest rains fell in Soroa and Cayo Coco located near the central part of the island,
where the farmers welcomed the rain from a record breaking drought that had drained reservoirs and caused massive water shortages to teh Cuban people. Nearly 32 cm of heavy rain fell in the central province of Sancti Spiritus and Camaguey during the storms. "These rains are a precious gift from heaven and I hope it keeps rainingn for another week" said Juan Perez who works in Soroa and Pinar del Rio.
The storm was expected to dump another 18 to 29 cm of rain on the Cayman Islands, Jamaica and Cuba, with up to 42 cm in isolated spots. Tropical hurricane warnings were sounding in the Cayman Islands and central areas of Cuba and the Bahamas. Warnings for Havana & Miami were dropped as the storm's path changed towards the east faster than previously expected, though heavy rain fell on the southeast part of Havana Cuba.
Tropical storm Nicole was keeping away from the Gulf of Mexico, where US oil and gas operations are concentrated. Heaviest rains continued on the east side of the the gulf of Mexico which in turn would spare central Florida orange groves from damage. Cuban Tourist were keep safe in all the majour resort areas of Varadero, Havana, Trinidad and Cayo Largo.
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