It's going to mean the disinheritance in terms of our way of life, the resources we depend on and so on. In one scratch that would mean we are no longer able to live off the land in the way we have been doing for hundreds of years.

A major reason for the Cuban model's success, particularly in a country with comparatively few resources, is its philosophy of total mobilization. The hurricane response may be directed from the top down, but it's carried out by ordinary Cubans in their local communities, building on the regular training they receive.