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Tropical storm Isaac is expected to make landfall as a Category 1 hurricane tonight, particularly around the coastal areas in the Gulf of Mexico. The storm comes almost exactly on the 7th anniversary of the devastating Hurricane Katrina. The Army Corps of Engineers has assured the public that New Orleans’ levies are fully functional and able to withstand Isaac.

Isaac hit the impoverished island of Haiti on Sunday with nineteen people reportedly killed. Haitians are still recovering from a devastating earthquake in January 2010. The tropical storm downed trees, destroyed tents, and caused severe flooding and mudslides. Five people were also killed in the Dominican Republic.

A day before the storm hit Haiti, it swept through Cuba where it downed trees and power lines and destroyed two homes in the city of Baracoa. There were no reported deaths in Cuba.

In fact, since 2001, 16 hurricanes and tropical storms have hit Cuba, causing a total of only 35 deaths. Compare this to the 1,836 deaths in the US as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Cuban hurricane preparedness policy has been credited with the low death toll from hurricanes. With the increased threat of severe storms on a warming planet, what can other storm-vulnerable communities and their governments learn from Cuba?

GUEST: Gail Reed, Executive Editor of MEDICC, the Medical Education Cooperation with Cuba Review

Visit www.medicc.org for more information.