Tropical Storm Paula drenches Cuba

[El Presidente]

Tropical Storm Paula drenches Cuba

By Rigoberto Diaz, Agence France-Presse October 14, 2010 7:06 PM

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PINAR DEL RIO, Cuba - Hurricane Paula weakened to tropical storm status Thursday, but still packed a punch when it hit western Cuba on its way toward the center of the island and Havana.

Cuba's civil defense called on coastal residents in Pinar del Rio province, in western Cuba, to take precautions. It said the storm, even in its weakened state, may also cause damage to the Isle of Youth and the capital city Havana.

General Ramon Pardo Guerra, head of Cuba's civil defense authority, urged inhabitants to "take all possible measures to protect life and property," in an alert directed especially at coastal dwellers.

At 5 p.m. ET, Paula's center was over Cuba, 60 kilometers southwest of Havana moving towards the east a near 15 kilometres an hour, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center reported.

The storm's maximum sustained winds dropped to around 95 kilometres an hour, with higher gusts.

"Weakening is forecast during the next 48 hours and Paula is expected to become a tropical depression on Friday," the NHC said.

Paula however was expected to dump up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain in some areas, which "could cause life-threatening flash floods and mud slides," the NHC warned.

Cuba is still recovering from disastrous 2008 hurricane season, when the island was slammed by a trio of major hurricanes, causing some 10 billion dollars in damage.

With that memory still fresh, locals prepared for the worst.

"Children did not go to school and people stayed home fearing the storm would be worst, but up to now all is well," said Danai Morales, 58, who lives in Pinar del Rio province.

"We are always fearful when there is a powerful storm, especially when one has children and grandchildren," said Blanca Herrera, 49, who lives in Bahia Honda, also in the province.

"Now it is a tropical storm, but one never knows, nature is unpredictable," she told AFP. Herrera and several of her neighbors lost their homes in the 2008 hurricanes.

In Havana, the biggest fear was that heavy rain would damage the 16th century colonial downtown area, as well as small fishing towns.

Tropical Storm Nicole struck Cuba two weeks ago, cutting off villages and damaging farmland, but also raising depleted water reserves.

En route to Cuba, Paula, which at its peak was a category two hurricane on the five level Saffir-Simpson scale, brushed Mexico's coastal resort areas on the Yucatan Peninsula but caused little damage, local authorities said.

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