Hurricane Michelle has swept through the Caribbean leaving a devastating blow in her wake. With wind gusts of up to 135 mph, Hurricane Michelle ripped through city centers, destroyed nearly 2,000 homes and killed 12 people in Jamaica, Nicaragua, and Honduras.

The central region of Cuba was greatly affected by Michelle. Cuban rescue teams coordinated an evacuation of approximately 750,000 civilians. The cities of Matanzas and Havana suffered severe property damage, downed telephone poles, and loss of life. The latest reports place the death toll at five.

As a result of a weakening travel industry in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks Cuba has been faced with falling tourism revenue. The Hurricane has heightened the sense of urgency for economic assistance in Cuba. Now, in addition to the tourism industry slow-down, Cuba must confront the devastation of several staple crops.

Agriculture officials report that nearly 100,000 tons of oranges were lost in the storm. Also, many seedbeds for tobacco plants used for making the ever-popular Cuban cigars have been destroyed. Cuba is currently reaching out to the international community for assistance. Venezuela is the first country to send aid, which was received early this week. Due in part to Cuba's proximity of 90 miles to the southern Florida coast, the Cuban government is asking U.S. officials for a suspension of the US food sales embargo to enable them to purchase food directly from the United States. There has been no response yet.

Many international aid groups have come to the assistance of Cuba and other affected countries in the region. Click on the following link for more information:

Stay tuned for a follow-up report on the economic impact on Cuba's music scene.