Tropical storm Laura hits Cuba

HAVANA, Aug 24 (Xinhua): Cubans are trying to abide by the COVID-19 health protocols while sheltering from tropical storm Laura which is hitting the entire country as it heads to the Gulf of Mexico and the U.S. coast.

"Now, we wear face masks and use hand sanitizers. That makes the difference during the evacuation process," Yenisel Perez, 36, a resident in the easternmost Cuban province of Guantanamo, told Xinhua.

Laura has ravaged the entire island nation with heavy rains and gusty winds.

In the eastern Cuban town of Baracoa, the storm has flooded streets, causing damage to houses and buildings near the city's seafront.

And as the storm's powerful winds washed out roads and crippled communication in mountainous regions, streets in northern and southern coastal towns have been filled with debris and mud.

Also, local governments in the country's central and western provinces have also taken precautionary measures in light of the imminent impact of the storm.