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(re-posted from 2005-07-09 15:57:38)
Hurricane Dennis, that is. This image from the National Hurricane Center shows the areas where tropical storm (orange) and hurricane (red) force winds are estimated to have occurred along Dennis' track as of 0500 EDT Saturday 9 July 2005. The approximate location of Guantanamo Bay is marked by a white square on the southeast coast of Cuba.
Don't worry though, the Jihaddis wrongfully imprisoned and frequently tortured cab drivers from Baghdad are okay:
GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba (NNS) -- Hurricane Dennis passed by U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay July 7, causing minimal damage.Of course, like everything else about Guantanamo the AP has a different version than the official Navy press release above:There were no injuries to any personnel.
"U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay has an excellent destructive weather plan," said Capt. Les McCoy, base commanding officer. "We take precautions as the storms approach, and all actions are predicated on ensuring the safety of all personnel. We had no damage from Hurricane Dennis other than a few broken tree limbs and debris washed up along the shoreline."
At the height of the storm as it passed the station, between 1 and 2 p.m., sustained winds were recorded at 35 knots, gusting to 47.
Packing devastating 145 mph winds, Hurricane Dennis tore down a guard tower at the U.S. detention camp for terror suspects as it stalked Cuba's south coast and moved Friday toward the heart of the largest Caribbean island.That's the first paragraph of their story, but if you read further you discover that "tore down a guard tower" actually means a life guard platform on the beach was knocked over by the high tide:
The U.S. detention camp on Cuba's extreme southeast end that holds some 520 terror suspects was spared overnight.Just for fun, let's read the first paragraph from the same story again:Heaving surf tore away a lifeguard tower at Windmill Beach and storm force winds reaching 40 mph destroyed a bus shelter. A few power lines and tree branches were knocked down and there was minor flooding.
"Actually, everybody fared real well," said Navy Cmdr. Anne Reese.
Packing devastating 145 mph winds, Hurricane Dennis tore down a guard tower at the U.S. detention camp for terror suspects as it stalked Cuba's south coast and moved Friday toward the heart of the largest Caribbean island.Editorial addition? Of course, this is the headline: With 145 Mph Winds, Hurricane Dennis Touches Cuba, Topples Guard Tower at Guantanamo Base
The LA Times reports that to avoid danger to the inmates and guards, some windows in the facility were closed:
In some places, the prison itself is just 150 yards from the sea. there, cells with wire mesh windows that normally are left open were barred with protective steel shutters. Loose objects such as wall clocks and fans were secured.Which of course, will prove to some people that President Chimpy McHitlerBurton just doesn't care for human rights the way uncle Fidel does, as the AP explains:As the storm neared, Brig. Gen. Jay Hood, the commander of the detention operations, said there were no plans to evacuate prisoners or military personnel.
The largest and most populous Caribbean island with 11.2 million people, Cuba suffers few hurricane casualties because the government cautiously evacuates people en masse, sometimes forcefully.Of course, cautious, forceful evacuations require a degree of subtle nuance that some people will never understand.
Weather-related final observation: the AP reporter in Havana is named Anita Snow. I wonder if there's a Major Storm at Guantanamo?
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (July 8, 2005) - Waves crash against the southern coastline of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, just east of the base lighthouse. Hurricane Dennis passed the station, between 1 and 2 p.m. Thursday, July 7, sustained winds were recorded at 35 knots, gusting to 47. At that point, the eye of the storm was 87 nautical miles southwest of the station. Seas at the mouth of the bay were cresting at 10 feet, and were 12-14 feet offshore. The base suffered minimal damage and there were no injuries. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 1st Class Terry Matlock (RELEASED)
