The Cuban PM and other officials checked the weather situation and the actions to be taken in the event of damage.

Prime Minister Manuel Marrero on Saturday assessed the measures that must be taken in western Cuba to protect the population and material assets, given the forecasts of heavy rains in the next few hours.

Havana, Cuba.- The head of Government wrote on his account on X, a social network formerly known as Twitter, that he and other officials checked the weather situation and the actions to be taken in the event of damage.

Marrero called on people to stay informed, as well as to follow the guidelines from the Civil Defense and the Institute of Meteorology. We must take all preventive measures, he pointed out.

The Prime Minister informed that the worst impact is estimated in the western province of Pinar del Río, a territory that was hit in September 2022 by Hurricane Ian, which left behind a trail of destruction in homes, serious damage to agriculture, flooding in low-lying areas and affected power services throughout the country.

According to the Cuban News Agency (ACN), seven medical-surgical brigades are ready in Pinar del Río to leave for places that are traditionally cut off by rain and mountainous areas, which will provide solutions to emergencies.

CUBA’S TOBACCO IS PROTECTED FROM HEAVY RAINS

18,000 tons of leaves are distributed in warehouses and selected from the different territories.

Pinar del Río.- Considered Cuba's largest tobacco producer, Pinar del Río protects the tobacco harvested due to the proximity of heavy rains caused by low pressure in the western Caribbean.

The territorial delegate of Agriculture, Yoel Hernández, said that 18,000 tons of leaves are distributed in warehouses and selected from the different territories, while a little more than a thousand remain in natural cure houses with proven protection conditions belonging to farmers.

We have the necessary blankets to prevent water from damaging the leaves, Osvaldo Santana, representative of the Tabacuba business group in the western territory assured.

Each measure has been put into practice time in advance and acts following the technical standards that tobacco demands for its conservation, Santana pointed out.

Given the impact of rainfall on local agriculture, food suitable for consumption is collected, irrigation of seedbeds is suspended and work is done on soil drainage to minimize damage to some extent.

However, it is also important to preserve the seeds of root vegetables and vegetables because this is a guarantee of future crops, Hernández noted.

The transfer of animals to high places is also another commitment assumed by farmers, aware that the geographical location of Pinar del Río makes the province a target for various hydrometeorological events. (PL)