The floods continued in several municipalities of Las Tunas, caused by a trough that has propitiated significant rainfall records in dissimilar points of the Las Tunas geography. Several dozen people were evacuated, activating here the protection protocols established for these situations.
Las Tunas, Cuba.- "In the last few hours, significant rainfall has been reported throughout the province, associated with the meteorological conditions that since previous days have been affecting the entire eastern zone with numerous rains, showers, and electrical storms," the meteorologist Alexey Moreno told the Radio on Friday.
“In the last night shift, he commented, we did not have significant rains, but around 6:00 in the morning one of the strong convective nuclei that came from the Gulf of Guacanayabo was activated; and in the municipalities of Amancio, Colombia, and Jobabo, downpours have been reported that can become strong and locally intense.
The overflow of the Tana River, in the municipality of Colombia, forced the evacuation of several families residing on its banks; as well as the protection of state property, as reported by correspondents there. Reports from meteorology fans in the area describe heavy rains in that demarcation.
Government authorities in “Colombia” reported that at least 49 people were evacuated. They also confirmed the collapse of a house in the San Rafael neighborhood and power outages due to the rains. The Flores Betancourt Polytechnic Agricultural Institute is set up as an evacuation center, they added.
In the municipality of Amancio, rains began at 5:00 in the morning on Friday and since then they have not stopped. In low-lying areas, it was necessary to evacuate the residents with the cooperation of the Red Cross, the Fire Department, and the National Revolutionary Police. The districts of Martínez, La Estrella, La Esperanza, and the community of San Alberto are among the most affected areas; 423 people had to be evacuated.
Local radio correspondents reported flooded streets and electrical service breakdowns in the municipal capital. The linemen of the Electric Company were waiting for the improvement of the weather conditions to repair these damages. In this part of the Las Tunas geography, the situation was aggravated by the runoff into the Sevilla River of the precipitations over the Camagüey municipality of Najasa.
Meanwhile, in Jobabo, the Municipal Defense Council was activated to coordinate evacuations due to the flooding of the river of the same name. The rainfall had already caused the overflow of the Limones stream, affecting the area of Los Sitios and the Manuel Ascunce district; while the road that connects that municipality with "Colombia" continued to be cut.
Also, in the municipality of Majibacoa, there were impacts of the rains. Noel Rodríguez López, the director of the Risk Management Center, confirmed floods in Brigade 7, Nigua, El Palenque, and La Comandancia. The Government also reported that the El Rincón reservoir is relieving; La Comandancia, Las Arenas and Nigua rivers left their usual courses. Likewise, they said, there were reports of harm to the railway in Brigada 7 and El Puente. At least two homes were damaged, and the evacuation to the homes of relatives of 68 people was confirmed.
The first secretary of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) and President of the Republic Miguel Díaz-Canel described the weather situation in the eastern region of the country as very difficult. “We ask our people to take extreme care. The local authorities, together with the Civil Defense, the Ministry of the Interior, and the Revolutionary Armed Forces are deploying all the measures,” he said on his account on Twitter. In the morning, he added, he spoke by telephone with the first secretaries of the PCC in each province.
He said that a working group headed by Vice Prime Minister Jorge Luis Tapia Fonseca, and composed of various ministers and vice ministers traveled to the affected provinces. “We maintain permanent communication,” he assured.
