Hurricane lessons from Cuban authorities

The Houston Chronicle highlighted some striking figures this week that are worth repeating: Cuba has a population of 11.4 million and an average monthly income of $17; the island lost 10% of its GDP last year in the damage caused by Hurricane Ike; but there were only 7 fatalities on the island caused by the disaster. This is far fewer than the fatalities reported in Texas from Ike, a state with more resources and greater ability to provide for citizens.

In light of that, Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas of Galveston, Texas, traveled to Havana to learn about the evacuation procedures, injury treatment and hurricane drills that have led to high relative success in protecting residents from the giant storms in the region. For instance, Cuba uses military and police presence in evacuation areas to assure residents that their belongings are safe and that their homes will be secure as they evacuate. Police and soldiers even help move furniture when residents are unable to do so. State-run media broadcasts hurricane reports and weather continuously. And every May, the country undergoes a mandatory two-day hurricane drill. These tacks allowed Cuba to safely evacuate 900,000 people to safe zones and shelters as Ike approached last year, something that Galveston had great problems doing and convincing residents to do.

This dialogue between U.S. and Cuban officials is the kind of exchange that benefits both nations.