Hurricane Ike, September 2008

After Hurricane Ike in September 2008 the tourism in baracoa is operating normally at Hotels El Castillo and Porto Santo after , and the best way to help the local people there that lost there homes is go there, have a great time and spend lots of money!

The Hurricane Ike during its route for the Cuban costs provokes strong winds and sea penetrations which caused serious damage in Baracoa.

Waves between five and seven meters high waterlogged all the streets next to the Malecon and several streets inside, beyond the experienced in similar previous events as the freak tidal surge in March of the 2008 in Baracoa, the first capital of Cuba. Some of this huge waves caused by Hurricane Ike with more than seven meters passed above some buildings in the Malecon of Baracoa and the sea penetrated 400 meters toward the city.

The swells in the north coast of Baracoa provoked by Hurricane Ike also reported havoc in the Restaurant "La Punta", Bus Station, Hotel Brisas del Mar, the Stadium Manuel Fuentes Borges, Hotel La Rusa and the total destruction of the local child playgroud that still has fresh the sudden attack provoked by the freak tidal surge in march 2008.

The sea penetrations affected the properties bordering the Malecon and the traffic for that street, in what is known there as the worst catastrophe of this nature in the last 50 years. About 1 000 private properties were affected, of them 200 completely destroyed. The strong winds of Ike demolished posts, trees, and communication lines (nets). They were not reported lost of human lives, although were registered seven injured people that quickly receive medical attention.