Cuba Tallies Hurricane’s Destruction

Cuba began adding up the damage Tuesday from Hurricane Michelle, which killed at least five people, flooded crops, destroyed at least 2,000 homes and crippled the island’s infrastructure.

Although the Communist government had not yet offered a comprehensive damage report, early indications were that significant damage was caused to some crops and to the island’s electrical and telecommunications systems.

Agricultural damage was particularly severe in the central province of Matanzas, where 99,000 tons of oranges were lost in the storm, the Communist Party daily Granma reported Tuesday. Seed beds for nurturing the tobacco plants used to make Cuba’s famed cigars were also wiped out by the storm.