Preventive measures adopted before the storm hit, in addition to effective actions adopted in the hurricane’s aftermath, have facilitated the recovery process, said Concepción appearing before the National Assembly of People’s Power (Parliament).

These days, efforts by the central government and the collaboration of various organizations and provinces, have been decisive, he said when presenting the report on the recovery from the damage.

Artemisa was one of the territories most affected by Hurricane Rafael, which last November 6 hit the west of the Caribbean nation after reaching category three on the Saffir Simpson scale (winds of more than 178 kilometers per hour).

Concepción indicated that repairing damaged houses in the province will take longer than the restorations in other sectors.

“The housing infrastructure is the one that requires the most time to be back on track, because up to 12 percent of the homes in the territory were affected,” he said.

“Over 20 thousand houses were damaged, 14 thousand of which suffered partial roof collapses,” he detailed.

He added that the actions are aimed at building all the partial and total roof damages before the rainy season of 2025.

He also stressed that public health services were not interrupted and that the school year was able to restart just 12 days after the impact of storm.

According to official reports, Hurricane Rafael cause wreckage among power transformer banks and 34 water supply infrastructure works in Artemisa, in the 11 municipalities in the territory.

A total of 50 cultural institutions, 49 sports facilities, 228 educational premises and 119 health system facilities were affected, in addition to 16,099 hectares dedicated to different crops.

The agricultural system, telephone and electrical and road networks, among other structures and sectors, were also badly affected.

lam/raj