Gibara Wrecked

Gibara is a small coastal town in the Eastern provinces of Cuba which suffered terribly during the hurricanes of 2008. Known as the White City for its distinctive white buildings, many of them were either swept into the sea by the force of the wind and waves, or so heavily damaged that they were uninhabitable. Four months after the storms the city was still struggling to recover: the road along the shore was marked with sections that had caved in, with the ocean continuing to chip away from below. Where houses once stood only concrete slabs remained, with little surrounding debris pieces of wall, or a chimney. When I asked people if the rubble had been cleaned up they usually shook their heads, and made a sweeping gesture toward the sea, indicating that the hurricanes had washed everything away. Even the town's Soviet inspired housing blocks, mammoths of poured concrete and rebar weren't immune. While still standing they were left beaten with broken storm shutters and gaping windows.