Hurricane Ike hit Cuba on Monday sending fifty foot swells crashing over the coastline. About 1,000 homes were damaged or destroyed as the massive waves ploughed through the island near Baracoa, Cuba. Over 900,000 people were forced to evacuate to higher ground. About 9,000 tourists were evacuated from Varadera, a popular tourist destination. The storm started as a category 2 hurricane and intensified to a category 3 before hitting Cuba. This hurricane came only nine days after hurricane Gustav and may devastate the island's economy that is dependant on nickel mines, sugar plantations, as well as tourism.
In my opinion I think this storm is an example of Global Warming's devastating effects. A CNN reporter described the hurricane like "the end of the world." If this storm cause 900,000 people to evacuate when it was only a category 3 then other countries within this hurricane's path should prepare. The effects of this storm to Cuba seem similar to Katrina in New Orleans. I don't think much could be done to prepare for storms like these after seeing the devastation they cause.
