Minnesota National Guard Unit OK After Irma Slams Cuba
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – All members of a Minnesota National Guard company stationed in Cuba are fine after Hurricane Irma lashed the island nation.
A spokesperson for the Minnesota National Guard said the 257th Military Police Company stationed in Guantanamo Bay were sheltered in a facility that was not in the direct path of the hurricane, which devastated the island's northern coast.
Guantanamo Bay is on Cuba's southern coast, and the unit sought shelter from the storm in a building that did not sustain significant damage.
The 257th Military Police Company deployed to Cuba in January on a mission to support Joint Task Force Guantanamo. There is no set return date for the unit, but it is expected to be back in Minnesota by the end of the year.
Hurricane Irma devastated communities in northern Cuba. Strong winds tore the roofs off homes, and Havana suffered significant flooding.
On Sunday morning, Irma shifted toward south Florida. The state's western coast is in the storm's direct path.