Hurricane Paloma Hits Cuba

And in Cuba, thousands fled from a category three hurricane that hit the south with torrential rains and speeds of 180 kilometers an hour. Luckily, the hurricane weakened to a category one as it swept across the island. STORY: Hurricane Paloma making landfall in southern Cuba packing ferocious winds and heavy rain. But the 8th Caribbean storm this season lost much of its might as it slowly crossed the island - downgraded to Category 1 from Category 3. Still, authorities warned Paloma had enough punch to trigger flash floods and landslides. More than a million Cubans fled ahead of the storm. In Santa Cruz del Sur, residents left in droves, strong winds battering a monument to the 3,000 victims of a hurricane 76 years ago. [Abel Acenjo, Evacuating Fisherman]: "They say it's going to be the same as the hurricane that struck here on November 9 in 1932. It looks like history is going to repeat itself." But it didn't. Paloma spared Cubans the worst of its fury. There was widespread flooding and blackouts but no casualties and none of the devastation caused by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in August and September. The Cayman Islands bore the brunt of the storm the day before; property damage is extensive. Paloma is expected to keep losing strength as it tracks towards the Bahamas.

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YouTube | November 10, 2008

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