I was talking with a farmer in the Vinales valleys last month and asked
him how bad Ike had been and how it compared with previous hurricanes.
Apparently, in 1944 there was a cat 5 but because it travelled the
island at about 50km/hr the damage done was far less than Ike which,
although a cat 4, was travelling at 20-25km/hr.

The scenario with Paloma doesn't look good for Cuba as the current
surface speed is only 13km/hr.

To give the farmer his due, he still managed to see it all with good
humour, commenting that the 350 chickens he had lost to Ike are probably
in the USA now!

--
Chris