HAVANA, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Cuba's civil defense authority issued an alert on Wednesday for the country's central and eastern provinces to seek and reduce potential damages by Hurricane Irma this week.
"Having in mind that, during the last 12 to 24 hours, Irma maintained the same speed and route, it was decided to establish the Alert Phase for the eastern provinces of Guantanamo, Santiago de Cuba, Granma, Holguin, Las Tunas, Camaguey, and the central territories of Ciego de Avila and Villa Clara," said the authority in a press release.
"State agencies, economic entities and social institutions of the provinces that are in the alert phase must comply with the measures provided for in their respective disaster reduction plans," reiterated the civil defense body in its statement.
It also urged the population to stay aware and keep track of information on the Category 5 hurricane, considered the most dangerous to face Cuba since Gustav in 2008.
Local forecasters indicated the storm is also the most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic.
On Wednesday afternoon, Irma battered the Virgin Islands but continued to move west-northwest at 26 km/h with sustained winds reaching 295 km/h. It is expected to affect eastern Cuba in the next 48 to 72 hours.
The last hurricane to hit the Caribbean nation was Matthew in October 2016, when it destroyed over 9,000 homes and properties but claimed no lives in the easternmost province of Guantanamo.
