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Sandy hits Cuba as category two hurricane | Sandy hits Cuba as category two hurricane |
(35 minutes later) | |
Sandy has strengthened into a strong category two hurricane as it makes landfall in south-east Cuba. | Sandy has strengthened into a strong category two hurricane as it makes landfall in south-east Cuba. |
The hurricane was carrying maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (175 km/h) as it hit land just west of Santiago de Cuba, said the href="http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCUAT3+shtml/250539.shtml" >US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC). | |
On Wednesday, one man was killed as Sandy swept over Jamaica. | On Wednesday, one man was killed as Sandy swept over Jamaica. |
A hurricane watch is in place in the Bahamas, and Florida has been placed on tropical storm watch. | A hurricane watch is in place in the Bahamas, and Florida has been placed on tropical storm watch. |
The NHC said wind gusts of up to to 114 mph had been reported in Santiago de Cuba. | |
It warned the hurricane was bringing heavy rain which could "produce life-threatening flash floods and mudslides, especially in areas of mountainous terrain". | |
Local officials in Cuba said about 1,700 people had been evacuated as a precaution. | |
"We cannot put a single human life in danger. We must evacuate people in areas we know are likely to be flooded, without losing time," defence official Lazaro Esposito told local media. | |
In Jamaica, more than 1,000 people sought refuge in shelters, with residents reporting widespread power outages, flooded streets and damages to buildings. | |
The authorities said one person, an elderly man, died when he was crushed by falling boulders as he tried to reach his home. | |
A 48-hour curfew has been imposed in all major towns, though some looting has been reported. | |
The country's sole energy provider, the Jamaica Public Service Company, said earlier that 70% of its customers were without electricity. |