HAVANA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Hurricane Irma has rampaged across Cuba's north coast over the weekend, but appeared to have spared Varadero major damage, a top official said on Friday.
Cuba's famed beach resort will be ready for high tourism season which is to begin in November, said Oscar Garcia, a delegate from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment in western Matanzas province, where Varadero is located.
Essentially, the category-four hurricane swept away some sand that should return in time through the natural dynamic of the sea, said Garcia.
"Irma hit the entire Matanzas coastline, damaged several of its beaches, where it caused loss in the volumes of sand, but most of them will recover soon," he said.
Steps taken to protect Cuba's No. 1 tourism destination proved effective against the most powerful hurricane to batter the Caribbean in more than 50 years, he said.
The eye of the hurricane was located 45 kilometers northeast of Varadero, 140 kilometers east of Havana.
The Caribbean resort, known for its turquoise waters and white sand, has 57 hotels, with a total of 21,500 rooms, which cater to mainly Canadian, German, Russian, Italian and French visitors.
