Cuba closed this Sunday the traditional “Meteroro” exercise that every year updates the country’s preparation to face and reduce the impact of cyclones, earthquakes, fires, epidemics and other emergencies caused by meteorological, technological events or accidents.
The two-day exercise, coordinated by the Civil Defense, involved the population and other state agencies with the aim of checking the response actions and the communications system.
#meteor2022 With the presence of the President of the CDN, the Head of the EMNDC and other members of the highest leadership of the country, a demonstrative exercise was developed in the Cuban Gas Company to strengthen response capacities in the event of an accident. #CubaLiveAndWork pic.twitter.com/ArACiU6afR
— Cuban Civil Defense (@CubaCivil) May 22, 2022
Specialized forces from the Fire Department, the National Police, personnel from the medical emergency services, the Armed Forces, and government authorities participated in “Meteoro 2022”.
The actions in all the provinces included this weekend the follow-up and specification of the state of the plans directed by the Civil Defense to protect human lives and material resources against the risk of catastrophes of various types, according to reports released by the state media.
In Havana, President Miguel Díaz-Canel visited, together with high government authorities, key centers of the state economy such as the “Ñico López” oil refinery and the Cuban Gas Company, where their respective directors explained the measures planned for a possible oil spill or gas leak.
Díaz-Canel, who chairs the National Defense Council, witnessed a simulation of the actions prepared to be carried out in the event of a disaster situation in both Havana entities.
In addition, details of the behavior forecast for the upcoming cyclone season -from June 1 to November 30- were known, which meteorologists predict “very active” with the forecast that nine hurricanes will form in the Caribbean area and the Gulf. from Mexico.
According to the forecast of the local Institute of Meteorology, this year there is a 60% chance that Cuba will be affected by a hurricane and 85% in the case of a tropical cyclone.
Regarding the possibility of the occurrence of an earthquake, specialists have explained that the eastern Cuban zone is the most dangerous, although throughout the country there is information on seismic activity, which between January and May of this year has registered 3 perceptible events.
During the exercise, actions were carried out to clean sewers, fire simulations, evacuations and rescue of people for these cases or in situations of danger due to cyclones, floods and earthquakes.
Efe/OnCuba.
