Waterspouts injure 38 people on Cuba beach, level dwellings

HAVANA – A severe storm that created several waterspouts roared onshore at a popular beach south of the Cuban capital over the weekend, injuring 38 people and damaging dozens of buildings, the island’s official media reported Monday.

The waterspouts happened with little warning Saturday evening at Caimito beach, on the southern side of the island in Mayabeque province.

Local resident Jorge Luis Martinez told government-run website Cubadebate that the waves quickly grew to about 16 feet (5 metres) high, the sky turned dark and the damage was done “in less than a minute.”

Communist Party newspaper Granma said more than 30 homes and state-operated structures including shops, restaurants and health facilities were damaged or destroyed. It added that none of the injuries were life-threatening.

A waterspout is a sort of tornado that forms over water. Cubadebate said there was no record of one hitting the area before.