US Cuba relations and hurricanes/oil spills

July 20, 2010 5:50 PM

What natural disasters since the Cuban Revolution have affected both the United States and Cuba (i.e. hurricanes Dennis and Katrina)? Also, where would I find the best primary sources regarding either government's response to the disasters?

I'm interested in US-Cuban relations and recently with various hurricanes and the oil spill from 2010, they have been very interesting. for example the current embargo prevents u.s. companies from cleaning up american oil in cuban waters. i'd like to go as far back as the beginning of the castro government to see what other big hurricanes, or maybe even oil spills, have occurred, and if things were equally screwy and weird 50 years ago.

posted by barbudo to law & government (2 answers total)

This article from a Cuban news source doesn't give you information that far back, but might help:

"The BP oil spill also has spurred an unexpected round of talks between the United States and Cuba. U.S. State Department officials have contacted Cuban officials to share information that would help Havana better prepare for the oil slick reaching its coast.

Although not acknowledged as official diplomatic relations, cooperation between the United States and Cuba is common on environmental issues such as hurricanes and earthquakes, as outlined by the 1983 UN Cartagena Convention."

About the 1983 UN Cartagena Convention.
posted by Houstonian at 6:25 PM on July 20, 2010

This is farther back than your timeframe, but, I remember that the Eric Larson book about the September 1900 hurricane that devastated Galveston, Texas, "Isaac's Storm" had some great info about the accuracy of the Cuban weather service of the time vs. the newly formed U.S. Weather Bureau. I don't remember if he digresses to more modern issues, but, the bibliography might point you to something useful. (And, it's a good read if you're interested in hurricanes.)
posted by oh yeah! at 7:50 PM on July 20, 2010