Strengthening Hurricane Sandy slams into Cuba

[dipsydoodle]

(Reuters) - Hurricane Sandy, strengthening rapidly after crossing the warm Caribbean Sea, slammed into southeastern Cuba early on Thursday with 110 mph winds that cut power and blew over trees across the city of Santiago de Cuba.

A Cuban television reporter, reporting by telephone from the communist island's second largest city, held the phone up to a window so viewers could hear Sandy's roaring winds that he said had left the city "completely dark" and created a "very tense" situation.

He said the Category 2 storm had toppled many trees across the city of 500,000 people situated some 470 miles (756 km) southeast of the capital Havana.

The eye of the storm came ashore just west of the city with waves up to 29 feet (9 meters) and a six-foot (2 meter) storm surge that caused extensive coastal flooding, Jose Rubiera of the Cuban weather service said in a television report.

Heavy rains were falling throughout the storm-stricken region, with forecasters predicting six to 12 inches for most areas and as much as 20 inches (50 cm) in isolated places.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/10/25/uk-storm-sandy-hurricane-idUKBRE89O07920121025

Current forecast says its moving north across the island from Santiago de Cuba. I've got two Dutch girlfriends who flew into Guadalavaca , up the road apiece on the Atlantic coast , late last week. I remember checking the forecast for them mid last week and everything looked fine then. Sandy must've looped

[Judi Lynn]

1. They'll be getting a good look at how efficiently Cuba deals with hurricanes, anyway.

They've got it down in the later years to minimize the damage to people, their critters, and property.

Hope your girlfriends make it through this O.K. They may still have some great sunny days as soon as Sandy moves on, no doubt.

Hope as these storms go, Sandy will be considered a mild one.