Cuba Counts Its Gustav Losses

According to the Cuban government, no one died even though 145 mph winds from Hurricane Gustav lashed a rural province before its march toward the U.S. Gulf Coast. But in a Reuters story on economic impact from the storm, it's clear that the only figures being released are the party line:

"There was widespread destruction of homes, schools, medical facilities, warehouses and infrastructure in Cuba's western province of Pinar del Rio and the Isle of Youth hit hardest by the storm on Saturday, but they account for less than 10 percent of Cuba's 11.2 million residents and except for tobacco, have little economic importance.

The extent of damage to recently picked tobacco being cured to make the island's famous Habanos was not known.

...'The damage will be in the hundreds of millions of dollars, but not billions,' a local economist said, asking his name not be used. 'In our country every little bit hurts, so it is still a blow, though it could have been much worse.'"

Gustav killed at least 86 people in in the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Jamaica, notes another report:

"'High tension towers were twisted and down, roofs blown off entire towns, schools destroyed and in Palacios even the baseball stadium's walls were gone,' Reuters TV cameraman Heriberto Rodriguez said.

Residents could be seen crying over the foundations of their homes or wandering around aimlessly.

There was little information from the Isle of Youth, 40 miles off the southwestern coast, which was raked by Gustav before it made landfall in the southern coast town of Palacios.

State television showed pictures of destroyed homes, submerged factories and boats lifted from their moorings and left in city streets."

(Photo by NOAA via Getty Images)