Four of the five killed were crushed by falling buildings and a fifth drowned in Playa Larga. And thousands have been evacuated to escape floods and enormous tidal waves which the hurricane caused.
Winds have been up to 120 kilometres an hour in the capital of Havana making it the strongest storm for more than 50 years.
Darkness
Havana has no electricity as power lines were cut to stop falling lines causing accidents. "The whole of Havana is in total darkness, everyone is using candles," one resident said.
Authorities also expect sugar, banana, citrus and coffee crops to be badly damaged.
Luckily, the hurricane has weakened since reaching the Bahamas and the Florida Keys, causing little damage.
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