[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 120 (Thursday, September 22, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1925]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT'S SUCCESSFUL METHODS OF RESPONDING TO HURRICANES

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                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 22, 2005

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, Everyone acknowledges that the United 
States has lessons to learn from the disgraceful Federal and local 
response to Hurricane Katrina. Even the President has ordered a review 
of the government response to the hurricane and declared that necessary 
changes must be made to be better prepared for the future. Perhaps we 
could learn lessons from an island just 90 miles south of Florida that 
is frequently buffeted by hurricanes. Yesterday CNN aired the following 
story about the Cuban Government's successful methods of responding to 
hurricanes:

           CNN Transcript: Hurricane Rita, Lessons From Cuba?

       Sept. 20, 2005.--Lloyd: You hear a lot about evacuations as 
     a hurricane nears; yesterday, the mayor of Galveston, Texas--
     where Rita could be headed--declared a state of emergency in 
     that city. She also said mandatory evacuations will start 
     today. In Cuba, which sits on the northern edge of the 
     Caribbean Sea, the government usually has strict guidelines 
     in place for hurricanes. Lucia Newman went to the island 
     nation to bring us this story about Cuba's secrets for saving 
     lives.
       Lucia Newman, CNN reporter: Cuba is the largest and most 
     populated island in the Caribbean yet it consistently 
     experiences the lowest death tolls during hurricane season. 
     According to United Nations, it's not because Cubans are 
     lucky but because they're prepared.
       ``We were prepared for a big one, and big it was,'' says 
     this man of Hurricane Ivan. He and nearly 2 million others 
     were evacuated from low lying areas and fragile buildings 
     ahead of the hurricane. Nobody was killed.
       Preparations for a hurricane start well in advance. The 
     same system that gives the communist state total political 
     and economic control is used efficiently to mobilize the 
     nation to face natural disasters.
       State run television and the civil defense authority 
     bombard the population with information and instructions 
     about what measures to take. On every block, there's a person 
     assigned to take a census on who is being evacuated to which 
     shelter, with special attention paid to the elderly and 
     pregnant women.
       ``We have a list, and tell each person where they have to 
     go and there, they're taken care of,'' says Llance Perez.
       In the fishing village of La Coloma, which is vulnerable to 
     hurricane flooding, a massive evacuation was mandatory. The 
     police and army were responsible for guaranteeing there was 
     no looting. Electricity is cut ahead of the hurricane to 
     prevent electrocutions.
       After Hurricane Ivan, the seaside village of Las Canas 
     looked like a ghost town. Its residents evacuated days 
     earlier. But while many lost much of their belongings, at 
     least no one had to cry over the loss of a loved one. Lucia 
     Newman, CNN, Havanna.

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