Cuban stylist Verónica Dantés took to social media on Wednesday to share the devastating state of her beauty salon, which was left flooded in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. Through tears, she described the emotional and financial blow she is enduring.
"I'm heartbroken, my heart feels tight... I just pray to my guardian angel that nothing is broken because everything is incredibly expensive," she wrote, accompanying the post with images of her waterlogged salon.
In subsequent updates, the Holguín native Dantés expressed frustration at being caught off guard by the storm without basic services from the previous afternoon.
"We lost power since 6 p.m. yesterday, there's no phone service to make any calls... no internet to track the hurricane, no food, no water," she lamented, criticizing the official response to the crisis.
Her posts garnered supportive reactions as followers echoed the hardships many families faced during the storm.
Hours later, Dantés shared that the building's drainage system had successfully removed the water, allowing her to start cleaning and aiming to restore the salon to its original condition, promising to share updated photos of her progress.
"I feel much more at ease now," she said, showing signs of emotional recovery as she assessed the damage.
This incident occurred during a day still overshadowed by the hazardous conditions associated with Melissa in eastern Cuba. As of 11:00 a.m., the center of the cyclone, still a category 2 storm, was located roughly 35 kilometers north of Punta Lucrecia, Holguín, with sustained winds of 155 km/h moving northeast at 22 km/h.
Despite the storm beginning to move away, it continued to bring showers and rain to the region, along with significant coastal waves in the northern areas, including Gibara.
Authorities warned of substantial storm surges along the Holguín coastline, with wave heights ranging from 4 to 6 meters, reaching peaks of up to 7 meters in parts of northern Holguín and Las Tunas, causing moderate to severe coastal flooding in low-lying areas.
The network of rain gauges reported an exceptional rainfall pattern: dozens of stations recorded over 100 millimeters, with several locations far exceeding usual records, while the system's residual moisture fueled showers throughout the day.
Dantés' story highlights the direct impact of the storm on small businesses and family economies in eastern Cuba, where material damage is compounded by power and communication outages, hindering immediate response and damage assessment.
In her case, the natural drainage allowed for the start of recovery, but the final assessment will depend on the condition of equipment, furniture, and supplies after the flooding.
Understanding Hurricane Melissa's Impact on Eastern Cuba
What challenges did Verónica Dantés face after Hurricane Melissa?
Verónica Dantés faced significant challenges, including a flooded beauty salon, lack of basic services like power and communication, and emotional distress over potential damages and costs.
How did the authorities respond to Hurricane Melissa in Holguín?
Authorities warned of significant storm surges and coastal flooding due to Hurricane Melissa, but Verónica Dantés criticized the official crisis management as inadequate.