[NYTr] Eastern, Central Cuba Hit by Tropical Storm Noel Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 20:27:32 -0500 (CDT) Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Agencia Cubana de Noticias (ACN) http://ainch.ain.cu/mailman/listinfo/ingles Eastern, Central Cuba Hit by Tropical Storm Noel Havana, Oct 30 (acn) Due to heavy and intense rains caused by the tropical storm Noel, the Cuban government has issued the informative phase warning at 16:00 hours this Tuesday for the central provinces of Ciego de Avila, Sancti Spiritus, Cienfuegos and Villa Clara. This is the first level warning of a potential danger which alerts the civil defence and other authorities to be on the alert and monitor known points at risk. It also warns the public at large to maintain awareness of a possible situation and tune in to radio and TV bulletins. Cuba has a well defined and practiced procedure, acknowledged internationally, which comes into play when faced with natural phenomena. These are tracked continuously. The level of alert and appropriate action, evacuations from places at risk etc. are adjusted according to the danger. The informative phase was already established for the eastern provinces of Guantanamo, Santiago de Cuba, Granma, Holguin, Las Tunas and Camaguey, while Noel lingered Monday over the flood-prone mountains of Haiti. Noel has already caused flooding and mudslides that killed at least 20 people elsewhere in the Caribbean and according to forecasts it is drawing closer to Florida. The storm is going westwards at 12 kilometers per hour approximately. At 18:00 hours the centre was located at 20.9 N and 78.0 W, near Santa Cruz del Sur, on the south coast of the province of CamagC