"The smell of death permeates Cauto el Paso. The stench emanating from the remains of horses, goats, cows, and pigs has overtaken this town in Granma province for the past two weeks. Located near the Cauto River, the most voluminous in Cuba, this waterway far from living up to its name overflowed its banks in the early hours of October 31, following the passage of the powerful Hurricane Melissa."
"According to the United Nations mission in Cuba, Hurricane Melissa affected more than 3.5 million people, damaged or destroyed 90,000 homes, and damaged around 100,000 hectares of crops. Unlike other Caribbean islands, such as Haiti and Jamaica, where the hurricane claimed dozens of lives, no casualties were reported as Cuban authorities who are accustomed to dealing with these types of storms every hurricane season had evacuated nearly a million residents from the east"
Severe flooding from Hurricane Melissa inundated communities along the Cauto River, leaving thick mud and widespread animal carcasses that produced a pervasive stench. Floodwaters rose to levels not seen in decades, forcing residents to move belongings to upper floors and roofs and to shelter for evacuation. The floods submerged large agricultural areas and damaged infrastructure, intensifying already precarious livelihoods dependent on livestock. United Nations figures report millions affected, tens of thousands of homes damaged or destroyed, and extensive crop losses. Proactive evacuations by civil defense prevented reported human casualties despite major material and agricultural destruction.
Read at english.elpais.com
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