Cuba Tornado: F4 Category Twister Strikes Havana, 4 Dead

At least four people have died and over 190 injured after a rare tornado hit the Cuban capital, Havana on Sunday night.

Strong winds, which were up to 62 miles per hour, damaged several buildings. Flooding was also reported in low-lying areas of Havana, CNN reported.

Carlos Pazos Alberdi, general director of the Institute of Meteorology said the tornado was F4 category (devastating) with wind speeds up to 300 km / h.

Cuban officials said around 120 homes were damaged by the tornado accompanied by strong winds. Members of the Provincial Defense Council of Havana said while 90 homes were completely destroyed, 30 were partially collapsed, Local 10 reported.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel visited the affected areas and called the damages “severe.” He also wrote on Twitter that several groups are helping with the cleanup.

Marcel Aldamas Rojas, head of White House Shipyard, a group helping in rescue operations told Cuba Debate, "We will be here until the time they need us. When we got here, the streets were impassable, and we're still pulling out debris. There are many houses without roofs. The streets are littered with fallen trees.”

Around 195 patients were evacuated from a hospital in the suburb of Luyanó in Diez de Octubre municipality, one of the worst hit areas, and transported to eight other health care centers in neighboring areas.

ETECSA ( Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba S.A) said Monday they were working toward restoring mobile networks and WIFI. "Priority is given to the restoration of mobile networks and the Wi-Fi sites and in parallel to the external plant where the main effects are concentrated," the company said.

The Minister of Communications said, "Communications workers are already working on restoring the affected areas, where the external plant suffered considerable damage. You have to lift routes and put poles. The brigades with men and available resources will be reinforced.”

Manuel Marrero, Minister of Tourism , however, said major tourist facilities have not suffered major damage and are working. "We have made a subsequent tour of the meteorological event that occurred in the capital yesterday night. All the tourist facilities are operating, because they have not suffered damages,” he said.

Pablo Oliva , a resident, shared his experience of the devastation by saying, "What you hear is a buzz. All the neighbors who heard it and saw it, thought it was a plane falling down, because it sounded like an air turbine that is increasing, it is growing and growing and when it happens it is frightening: it takes away your hearing, but you feel the change of pressure in the ears.”

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro took to twitter to show his support.

“ The people of Cuba and our brother President @DiazCanelB , count with all the solidarity and support of Venezuela in this difficult moment. I express my condolences to the families of victims who have been affected by the tornado and the heavy rains,” he wrote.