Havana/The intense rains that have affected Villa Clara since early this Saturday forced the Provincial Defense Council (CDP) to be activated, given a panorama that the authorities themselves describe as “critical” in several municipalities. Sagua la Grande, Cifuentes and, in particular, the town of Sitiecito are among the areas most affected by sudden floods, stream overflows and prolonged flooding.
According to preliminary data managed by the CDP and disclosed on social networks by local officials, nearly 200 people have been evacuated and around a hundred homes are damaged. In Sitiecito, where the rain has been “too much” and constant for hours, neighbors report areas where “people are in danger,” while residents of Sagua la Grande claim that it has not stopped raining intensely since early morning.
Milaxy Yanet Sánchez Armas, vice president of the CDP, stated that “all measures are being taken to protect the families” and that the authorities are on the ground directly assisting the victims. The official did not specify whether there is damage to essential infrastructure or whether new evacuations are planned in the coming hours.
For his part, Lizardo González Saavedra, director of Hydraulic Resources, attributed the situation to the saturation of the soil and the overflowing of small rivers after several days of continuous rain. He assured that, despite the volume of rainfall, the region’s dams “remain stable.”
The province of Villa Clara prepares for a still uncertain scenario
Teams from the Red Cross and the Integrated Medical Emergency System have been deployed to support evacuations, provide first aid and transport vulnerable people. So far no deaths have been reported, although testimonies collected on social networks show concern about the persistence of the rains and the lack of precise information about the state of roads, bridges and electrical circuits.
In Viana, another affected community, residents say that “it has been raining for a long time” and they fear that the accumulation of water will worsen damage to homes already deteriorated due to lack of maintenance. Photographs and videos released independently show fast currents running through streets and yards, as well as residential areas completely flooded.
The emergency in Villa Clara recalls the recent passage of Hurricane Melissa through eastern Cuba, which left a toll of flooding and serious damage in provinces such as Santiago de Cuba, Granma, Holguín and Guantánamo, where the accumulated rainfall exceeded historical levels and caused river overflows, flooded streets and submerged homes after the cyclone passed last October.
With weather forecasts pointing to new rainfall in the coming hours, the province of Villa Clara is preparing for a still uncertain scenario. Meanwhile, the affected communities hope that help arrives on time and that this time the authorities do not limit their response to “protection” slogans that, in too many cases, are not reflected in real actions on the ground.
