The full force of the hurricane struck the southeastern
province
of Guantanamo late Wednesday with 75 mph winds, after soaking the
coast with heavy rains earlier earlier in the day. The storm was
expected to march north across the island.
Concerns about possible hurricane damage were especially acute
in eastern Cuba, which is suffering from a severe drought.
Civil defense teams evacuated people from flood-prone areas in
Guantanamo, and the other eastern provinces of Holguin, Santiago
and Camaguey, according to news reports.
A hurricane warning was in effect from Sancti Spiritus province
eastward - half of the island.
Cuban President Fidel Castro put his Cabinet on alert and vowed
the government was ready to deal with the storm.
"We know what to do in any of the cases or variants of the
trajectory that Georges is following,'' the Mexican government news
agency Notimex quoted Castro as saying during a visit to Cuba's
National Institute of Meteorology.
Castro said that the armed forces would help get medicine, food
and other help to hurricane victims after Georges passes. He also
offered to send Cuban doctors to neighboring countries that need
them.
Government-run Radio Rebelde said Castro's brother, Raul, who
is
head of the armed forces, was overseeing evacuation efforts.
Citizens were encouraged to monitor government radio reports for
hurricane updates.
Volunteers on Wednesday also wrapped up work helping farmers
harvest coffee and other remaining crops, and evacuate livestock
from low-lying areas, the reports said.