The town of El Cobre in the eastern province of Santiago de Cuba was one of the hardest hit by hurricane Melissa in October 2025. Home to some 7,000 people, it is also the site of the Basilica of Our Lady of Charity, the patron saint of Cuba.
The hurricane made landfall in eastern Cuba on October 29 about 20 mi (30 km) east of Chivirico, with sustained Category 3 winds of 120 mph (195 km/h). No deaths were reported after the Civil Defense evacuated more than 735,000 people across eastern Cuba ahead of the storm. Residents were slowly starting to return home as of November 1. Heavy equipment began to clear blocked roads and highways and the military helped rescue people trapped in isolated communities and at risk from landslides.
The Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba called Melissa’s impact “a catastrophe of enormous proportions” and noted that this disaster adds “to the already difficult daily reality of our people.”
The prelates asked for “everything” for the victims: food, clothing, mattresses, household items, and shelter, “especially for the many elderly people living alone and all those who are naturally experiencing this time with sadness and discouragement.”
Finally, they appealed for solidarity “from Cubans in other parts of the world and throughout the country, to all those who with goodwill want to and are able to help us.”
Story courtesy of Catholic News Agency ( first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
