Havana/The heavy rainfall recorded in recent hours in central Cuba has caused flooding, preventive evacuations and material damage in several towns in Villa Clara and Sancti Spíritus, a scenario that confirms the vulnerability of the region after several days of persistent rain.
In the Sancti Spiritus municipality of Yaguajay, intense rains caused rivers and streams to overflow, with flooding in low areas and communities near the channels. According to provincial press reports, several areas were cut off temporarily, while rescue brigades and local authorities activated population protection protocols. Floods are affecting homes, yards and rural roads, especially in settlements where drainage is insufficient to absorb large volumes of water in a short time.
According to Evaristo Rivero, from the Provincial Meteorological Center, the most significant rainfall accumulations in Sancti Spíritus in the last 24 hours have occurred in the town of Centeno, with 295 millimeters, Seibabo (225), Yaguajay (152) and 124 collected by the rain gauge of the Aridanes dam, the main reservoir in the north of the province.
The most significant rainfall accumulations have occurred in the town of Centeno
The Sancti Spiritus authorities reported that, although no human losses were reported, dozens of people had to be evacuated preventively, most of them transferred to relatives’ homes. In Yaguajay, as in other municipalities in the center of the country, the saturation of the soil and the rapid flooding of the rivers have been determining factors in the magnitude of the damage.
In Villa Clara, the situation has also been aggravated by the dumping of dams that has increased the water level in inhabited areas. 91 millimeters of rain had fallen in the municipality of Remedios until 10:30 a.m. this Tuesday.
The discharges from the La Quinta dam, located in the Villa Clara municipality of Camajuaní, have forced the evacuation of the communities of Pavón, Hoyón, El Santo, El Arroyo, La Sierra, Tierra Fría, La Loma and Pavo Real in Encrucijada to begin. 195 millimeters of rain have fallen on this reservoir in the last 24 hours and it is currently releasing 56 cubic meters per second. figure that should increase throughout the day, explained Lisardo González Saavedra, provincial delegate of Hydraulic Resources in Villa Clara.
Images shared by neighbors show roads covered in water, blocked accesses, bridges about to be overcome by the current and homes surrounded by currents that moved quickly after continuous rains.
Images show roads covered in water
These events occur just days after other significant floods recorded in the country. In Havana, recent rains left streets flooded and sewers clogged by garbage that accumulates in the corners, a situation aggravated by the poor state of the drains in the Cuban capital and the lack of systematic cleaning of the drains. In Villa Claraparticularly in Sagua la Grande, the weekend rainfall had already caused flooding that affected homes and forced numerous residents to evacuate.
Provincial authorities have called on the population to take extreme precautions, avoid crossing flooded areas and stay informed through official channels. However, residents of the affected areas point out that, beyond the immediate emergency, structural problems persist that aggravate the situation in each rainy season.
