Despite initial fears, Hurricane Rafael caused minimal damage to the iconic Malecón in Havana as it swept through the Cuban capital. Carlos Espinosa Betancourt, who manages the Facebook group 'Maravilloso Malecón', posted a photo highlighting the condition of the avenue stretching through El Vedado. "Thankfully, it seems this area sustained very little damage. We hope the rest of the city and the country were similarly spared, and most importantly, that there were no casualties," he commented.
The photograph captured a section of the avenue between streets B and C, a location known for frequent flooding during inclement weather. Just hours prior to the hurricane's arrival, workers from the Ministry of Transportation had to swiftly address a large hole in the street following residents' warnings about the potential peril it posed with the storm approaching. "The repair work carried out was completed satisfactorily, eliminating the risk in this part of our neighborhood," Espinosa Betancourt reported.
After the repairs, several community members expressed that such work should have been undertaken well before the storm's arrival, rather than at the last minute. Havana endured the brunt of Rafael's right side, often referred to as the "dirty side" of a hurricane, notorious for intense winds, heavy rain, and dangerous waves, exacerbating the threat due to the city’s deteriorated infrastructure.
Although the hurricane didn't come as close to the province as feared, it still impacted numerous urban areas, causing severe flooding in low-lying neighborhoods, structural collapses, and necessitating the evacuation of thousands. Rafael's strong winds uprooted large trees and tore off roofs from many homes and government buildings. The storm’s intensity overwhelmed the drainage systems, especially in Centro Habana and La Habana Vieja, quickly submerging these areas in water.
Havana, along with other western provinces, remains without electricity. The Electric Company briefly noted that the population must wait until transmission lines are assessed before microsystems can be initiated. Additionally, the Ministry of Energy and Mines indicated that restoring power in the affected region will be "a slow process."