A home in Central Havana experienced a complete roof collapse in the aftermath of Hurricane Rafael. The incident took place at Santiago Street 510, nestled between Salud and Jesús Peregrino streets. Images forwarded to CiberCuba reveal the extent of the devastation: while the ground-level house maintains its walls and barred doors and windows, debris from the roof, along with several pieces of furniture, litter the street, awaiting cleanup.
Fortunately, there were no injuries, according to a witness at the scene. "They got trapped, and rescue workers arrived. The problem was the neighboring house, which was badly damaged, and its wall fell onto the adjacent roof. What a fright, my God," she recounted.
Widespread Destruction Across Havana
At least 461 total or partial collapses were documented throughout Havana due to the fierce onslaught of Hurricane Rafael. "Havana was significantly impacted," stated Governor Yanet Hernández during a press conference, noting that the destruction to homes and other buildings included fallen walls, collapsed staircases, and detached lightweight roofing. However, she did not specify the total number of complete collapses that occurred.
Another Collapse in the Midst of Darkness
On the night of November 6, another collapse was reported on Consulado Street, between Refugio and Genios, in Central Havana. This incident unfolded around 8:00 p.m., amid powerful wind gusts and light rainfall battering the city. Like many other parts of the capital, the area was plunged into darkness due to a power outage.
A local resident shared on journalist Alberto Arego’s Facebook post about the terrifying noise she heard. "I'm still traumatized by that deafening sound." Thankfully, no one was harmed, and firefighters promptly arrived at the scene to secure the area.