Cayo Granma in Santiago de Cuba Ravaged by Hurricane Melissa: Destruction and Despair

Hurricane Melissa has left a trail of devastation in its wake across eastern Cuba, with Cayo Granma in Santiago de Cuba bearing the brunt of its fury. Homes are in ruins, and families find themselves stripped of everything.

In the Facebook group "Amigos del Cayo," users have shared videos capturing the destructive force of Hurricane Melissa. As the storm made landfall in eastern Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane, it unleashed its power on the small islet at the entrance of the Santiago de Cuba bay, leaving a path of destruction.

The images shared within this community show complete destruction: collapsed houses, roofs torn off, and boats overturned by the relentless winds and powerful waves.

In these videos, residents identify their devastated homes with a sense of sorrow, along with significant community landmarks like the local pharmacy. Voices of the islanders narrate the damage to their properties while the footage reveals entire roofs ripped from buildings, beams scattered across the ground, and tiles piled everywhere.

The footage also depicts fallen poles and cables, underscoring the extensive damage to a large percentage of homes.

Once known for its picturesque beauty and fishing heritage, Cayo Granma has been transformed into a landscape of rubble and grief, a testament to the impact Hurricane Melissa has had on Santiago de Cuba and other parts of the eastern region.

Impact Across Santiago de Cuba

The devastation on Cayo Granma is not an isolated incident. Hurricane Melissa has left a swath of destruction throughout Santiago de Cuba, with the town of Baire suffering significant damage as well.

In Baire, streets are filled with debris, homes have been destroyed, and trees uprooted, while residents scramble to salvage what little remains.

Another symbolic and material blow was dealt to the Santuario del Cobre, a site of spiritual and cultural significance for many Cubans. The historic sanctuary has suffered serious damage, with collapsed roofs, cracked walls, and harm to key structural areas, causing distress among worshippers and heritage advocates.

In Palma Soriano, another town in Santiago, images reveal zinc roofs strewn across the streets, broken utility poles, and families left exposed to the elements.

The scale of the disaster across the province makes it clear that recovery will be a prolonged process, and communities like Cayo Granma will face formidable challenges in rebuilding what has been lost.