THE ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES OF HURRICANE MELISSA IN CUBA.

by Eva-Angela Adan

The powerful Category five hurricane Melissa that reached the Caribbean islands in October 2025 had a catastrophic impact in Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti, leaving on its path cities, towns, and crop fields under deep water, homes roofless and/or basically collapsed, and major structures severely damaged.

In Cuba, the hurricane, downgraded to Category 4, entered through Oriente, the island’s eastern portion, on October 29, 2025. This area is known for the Cauto, Cuba’s longest and second-most voluminous river, and for the Cauto del Paso dam. The confluence of other rivers and tributaries, open dams, landslides from the Sierra Maestra mountains, severe rains, and strong storm surge ravaged villages, communities, and towns, submerging homes and other structures. Many people climbed on rooftops to avoid drowning in the flooding. Villagers living on mountain tops were trapped entirely, and rescue was difficult because landslides and mudslides triggered by the massive water downstream could swallow them. Several cities and towns have been cut off due to collapsed bridges, blocked and eroded roads, and railway tracks.

The destruction caused by the catastrophic hurricane has been widespread and included not only Santiago de Cuba, but also the towns of Palma Soriano and the village of El Cobre, where the torrential rains and furious winds caused irreplaceable damage to the masonry, stained glass, and carpentry of the Basilica of Our Lady of Charity (built in 1926). Other areas suffering significant structural damage and housing losses due to wind and flooding included the provinces of Granma, Holguín, Guantánamo, Las Tunas, and Camagüey.

In addition to the destruction of homes and other constructions due to strong hurricane winds and flooding, the loss of power lines and telecommunication cables has severely impacted the aforementioned areas and communication in general. Power plants are inoperable, and electricity supply, even in other island provinces not in the path of Melissa, is very scarce; only a few hours (2-4) are available in city areas or municipalities, and power outages may reach up to 20 hours per day. The hurricane has not been the primary cause of the power outage across the island from East to West. The country’s energy crisis continues to leave it in the dark, due to obsolete power grids that cannot meet the island’s minimum energy demands.

As of November 4, 2025, preliminary reports from EFE Noticias (Spain) stated that “over 45,282 homes [were] damaged.” Two weeks after the hurricane, the number climbed to 76.700. Reports indicate that over 1,000 homes have collapsed.

The number of evacuees was initially reported at 735,000. Realistically, the number continues to increase as rescue efforts and damage assessments proceed. Local reports on November 13, 2025, indicated that approximately 54,000 people remained displaced and that 7,500 were sheltered in schools and other sites designated by local governments. By November 10, 2025, the number of individuals affected by the hurricane had already reached 3.5 million. The absence of dwellings for the displaced population will pose a challenge for the government to manage in already poor communities and towns in the country’s Eastern region.

Since many schools are serving as shelters for displaced individuals in affected provincial areas, the return to regular school sessions will be gradual, contingent on favorable conditions and the hurricane’s impact in each region. All to be determined by the Defense Council and the educational authorities. It is still difficult to determine how many schools have succumbed to the fury of Melissa in the aforementioned provinces of Oriente.

As of November 4, 2025, the province of Holguín reported that 193 educational institutions had been damaged. According to recent damage assessments, about 2,117 educational centers were impacted in the region. Upcoming estimates may result in higher numbers. Among the areas most damaged are Holguín, Gibara, Mayarí, and Sagua de Tanamo. The authorities have indicated that more than 670,000 students are still out of schools and universities in the provinces of Guantánamo, Santiago de Cuba, Granma, Holguín, and Las Tunas.

It was reported on November 11, 2025, that the Ministerio de Educación for the Oriental provinces decided to reinitiate classes in elementary-secondary school districts “despite the lack of sanitary conditions, power, and lack of essential food.” Families are concerned and against this decision primarily because many surviving schools are considered structurally unsafe, and the unsanitary conditions, not to mention the epidemic ravaging the country, represent a high health risk. Viable alternatives considered in some areas include using teachers and family homes as temporary instructional sites. It appears that less affected schools (36%) are already operating.

In Santiago de Cuba and Granma, the hardest hit provinces, medical installations have been heavily damaged, including hospitals (e.g., Hospital General Dr. Jose Bruno Zayas Alfonso in Santiago de Cuba), 645 health clinics (only 4% restored to date), pharmacies, and other health-supporting services and offices.

In addition to power outages, homes are without water due to the deterioration of pumping equipment, in part because the electrical system is unstable and has damaged the provincial hydraulic infrastructure. Access to food and drinking water is limited in areas impacted by the hurricane. And in reality, the rest of the island is currently suffering daily from the same power and water shortages.

The island of Cuba is facing a nationwide severe epidemic of the dangerous viral disease Chikungunya, transmitted by the mosquito Ae. Aegyptie. The US Embassy in Havana has issued a travel warning to Cuba. The CDC has issued a Level 2 warning. Other mosquito-borne viruses currently on the island include Dengue and Oropouche. Deaths have been reported, and the population in entire neighborhoods is seriously ill. This situation, which predates the hurricane, has interrupted labor work in many sectors, and schools have been affected by the absence of sick teachers, staff, and administrators. The deadly virus continues to ravage the island from East to West due in part to water shortages, poor sanitation, the accumulation of uncollected garbage in cities and localities, and the lack of medical care at health centers.

The figures quoted above continue to change weekly as accessibility to towns and villages becomes easier. Contact with the island, in general, is through social networks or landlines when power is available. The confluence of hurricane destruction, the overwhelming viruses affecting the general population without the availability of proper health care, and the poor utility infrastructures is eroding a rapidly collapsing nation. Recovery will be a long and arduous task. The Pearl of the Antilles, as Cuba was always known, has lost its luster.

Postsecondary Institutions in Areas Affected by Hurricane Melissa

Universidad de Oriente, Santiago de Cuba (structural damages reported)

Institutional damages in areas most affected (Granma, Holguín, Guantánamo) have not been reported yet

Universidad de Camagüey, Provincia de Camaguey

Universidad de Holguín “Óscar Lucero Maya”, Provincia de Holguín

Instituto Superior Minero Metalúrgico de Moa, Provincia de Holguín

Instituto Superior de Ciencias Agropecuarias de Bayamo, Provincia Granma

Centro Universitario de Las Tunas/CUT, Provincia de Las Tunas

Centro Universitario de Montana de Sabaneta, Provincia de Guantánamo

Teaching and Research Centers affiliated with the above-listed institutions.

Sources Consulted:

Redacción de CiberCuba, October 28, 2025 “.UNE “Deja en Suspenso el Pronóstico de Apagones…”

CBS News, October 31, 2025 “…Cuba far from Spared”

EFE Noticias,Spain

El Nuevo Herald, “Hurricane Melissa washes over Cuba …”, Nora GomezTorres, 10-29-2025

Electronic Publication. Casa Editora Ahora. Yanela Ruiz Gonzalez “Education authorities assess 

school network damage in Holguin.” November 4, 2025 

Cubitanow Redacción. “Polémica en Cuba por el reinicio de las clases en el oriente tras el huracán Melissa. November 11, 2025.

Diario El Heraldo, Honduras

CUBA: Power Outages, the Weakening of the National Infrastructure and its Impact on Educational Activities and Related Services

by: Eva-Angela Adan

The Cuban educational system continues to deteriorate due to the weakening of the soft and hard
national infrastructures that have impacted all sectors of society. Ongoing power outages had been
plaguing the country since the first quarter of 2024, but were accelerated with the collapse of the
Antonio Guiteras Power Plant in Matanzas (built in 1988). The devastation of hurricanes in the
latter part of 2024 left the island in the dark between October 18 and November 6 due to power grid
failure. From October 17 to 23, 2024, non-essential public services and school activities were
suspended. Later on, only essential services, facilities, and government offices were operating
during restricted times. Irrespective of when the power could be minimally restored for a few hours
to provincial cities and neighborhood areas, the arrival of Hurricane Oscar (October 20, 2024) to the
most eastern province of Oriente and Hurricane Rafael (November 6, 2024) would represent an
additional impact on general operations at the national level. These events caused constant
blackouts nationwide, leaving millions of citizens without electricity and affecting the country’s
infrastructure at all societal levels, from suspending school operations to essential official services
and labor in general.1

Without electricity, educational centers and institutions ceased to operate for a short period of time.
According to published government news, all school levels were expected to reopen on Monday,
October 28, 2024, at the national level amid the intermittent power cuts during school sessions.
However, the reinstatement of educational activities in the zones affected by the hurricanes was not
determined, and the government could not guarantee when regular power services would be restored
nationwide. During this time period, the US Embassy-Consular Services in Havana suspended
operations, except for emergency services, due to the ongoing power outages.

Since the beginning of 2025, the Cuban energy crisis has worsened due to the obsolete
infrastructure that has rendered more than 40-year-old power plants inoperable and inactive due to a
lack of spare parts and fuel. This national situation has resulted in cities and municipalities lacking
electricity nowadays for up to 20 and 22 consecutive hours and entire days. The problem appears to
be more severe in Pinar del Rio and the Oriental provinces. According to government news, the
Electric Union (UNE) confirmed the temporary shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras Power Plant by
May 4, 2025, at 8:15 am “because the system is not meeting the national demand. The maintenance,
according to the state, will last for at least five days, which anticipates a week of severe blackouts
across the country.” Following the announced period in early May 2025, the regular distribution of
electricity to the national territory is being limited to two-to-three-hour blocks per day (early
mornings, afternoons or nights) in selected areas or zones within provincial cities and municipalities
of the island. In the capital city of Havana, the shortages average from three to six hours at the most.
The ongoing energy crisis has resulted in the suspension of non-essential work at times and the
limitation of hours of service in general. Generators are not a general commodity in schools,
academic institutions (secondary and postsecondary), general operating offices, and other service
entities. Specialized schools in some areas, like the vocacionales or vocational secondary schools in
the arts and music, and IPVCE/Institutos Preuniversitarios Vocacionales de Ciencias Exactas (upper
secondary schools for the study of exact sciences) may have generators to support their activities.
However, most school levels have been operating without electricity. Curricular laboratory sessions
and practicals may be postponed or rescheduled during the academic terms according to power availability

in the specific geographical zones. All academic requirements (e.g., projects, thesis,
etc.) must be completed for graduation, which continues to be held in July. Graduation ceremonies
at all levels were held in July 2025.

The lack of electricity flow impairs connectivity and technical support in all areas, resulting in
limited labor hours in the workplace. Managing service requests, searching archival documents,
downloading official records, copying, printing, and releasing any documentation have become a
slow process. From personal testimonies obtained on an ongoing basis, there are long backlogs at
offices processing documentation requests of any nature, producing official records, and
authenticating them. These include services from Consultorias Juridicas, Bufetes de Servicios
Especializados, and government offices. Rolling blackouts daily throughout the island impact the
availability of internet, social media, and mobile networks to obtain and provide information. The
use of landlines is also limited and does not facilitate communication with the public in and outside
the country. Attempting to contact the Consultorias or Bufetes by e-mail or telephone has been an
exercise in futility for all. I can corroborate that from personal experience. Since courier services
appear to be operating under unusual delays, Cubans on the island are using visiting family
members or friends to send documentation outside the country.

The repercussions of this situation for admissions and evaluation professionals in the US and
internationally are challenging. During general institutional closings mandated by the government
as a result of hurricanes and severe blackouts nationally, transcripts were not issued. Furthermore,
ministries, government offices, and departments responsible for authenticating academic records
and degrees, which were considered non-essential services, were not operating. Therefore,
evaluation professionals may need to be cautious when reviewing academic records and accepting
the authentication of documents allegedly processed, stamped, and issued by the official authorities
between 2024 and early 2025. See Cuban blackout dates up to March 2025 on 2024–2025 Cuba
blackouts – Wikipedia. Additional blackouts in May 2025 are specified in this text.

Important recommendations

The proliferation of fraudulent documentation during periods of national disasters, wars,
government changes, etc., opens doors to opportunists to manufacture degrees, transcripts, and all
types of documentation. Modern technology makes it a fast, marketable business. Unless
professionals are savvy and experienced in the exercise of dissecting and analyzing academic
records, they may fail to detect uncharacteristic features or incorrect dates. This may result in the
acceptance of a document as a bona fide official diploma/degree or academic transcript. For
professionals who maintain a library of sample documentation, it is crucial to compare any new
document that has reached your desk, allegedly issued as official by the appropriate authorities
between 2024 and 2025, against a document received in the past.
Recipients of Cuban academic documentation for education and employment purposes must pay
attention to the dates such records were issued, the stamps appearing on the records, as well as the
Cuban region and institution where the documentation originated. The passage of Hurricane Oscar
in 2024 in Baracoa, province of Guantanamo, resulted in damaged buildings and areas underwater.
The Centro Universitario de Baracoa (university) could have been impacted; damages were not
specified. The University of Camaguey Ignacio Agramonte Lloynaz suspended classes and related
academic activities on December 5, 2024, due to the energy crisis. Educational activities were
adjusted at the time, and they continue to be adjusted according to favorable conditions in the area.

The Consultoria or Bufetes responsible for verifying, authenticating, and mailing documents to the
USA are subject to the same power outages as the rest of the country. Therefore, continuous
services were not provided during blackouts from October 5 to December 5, 2024, and also the first
five months of 2025 when the national distribution of electricity was severely restricted. Any
documentation allegedly processed by the Consejerías Jurídicas and similar services during these
uncertain times on the island must be checked thoroughly. Attention must be paid to dates, seals and
stamps from the corresponding government authorities that appear traditionally on the records. Do
not trust any documents that cannot or do not appear to have been authenticated by the
MINREX/Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores for overseas purposes (para uso fuera del territorio
nacional).

Power outages continue as of September 2025, including a total disconnection of the electric system
on September 10. The hurricane season is upon us, the last quarter of 2025, and any updates
regarding the impact of hurricanes, the progressive suspension of electricity, and the adverse
consequences of these events on the educational operations and activities in the island will be
provided in the immediate future, along with current updates on the educational system.

Sources Consulted:
1 Wikepedia, https;//en.wikepedia.org/wik/24-25 Cuba Blackouts
2024–2025 Cuba blackouts – Wikipedia
‘The Rio Times’, Swiss News Base
https://havanatimes.org

Behind the scenes: The architects of the gold standard of credential evaluation

Have you heard of AACRAO EDGE — the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers’ Electronic Database of Global Education?

If not, your international credential evaluations may be, as the kids say, sus.

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Fake degrees and dishonest recruiters are only the icing on the cake when it comes to the layers of possible malpractice in credential assessment. Global education systems are as diverse, complex, and non-intuitive as the thousands of languages spoken around the world. Accurate evaluation of international education systems requires sophisticated and rigorous research; vetted by multiple experts.

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In coordination with experienced professionals in international education and AACRAO staff members, this group developed the initial country profiles with generous support from The Paver Family Foundation, which maintained and funded the project through its development.

Current FCSA experts continue to participate in the writing and editing of country profiles within EDGE.

AICE & AACRAO: Announcing Strategic Partnership

The Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE) Announces Collaboration with The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) Read More