Eastern provinces of Cuba take measures due to heavy rainfall

Since the National Defense Council established the Informative Phase this Saturday due to heavy rainfall, the provinces of Guantánamo, Santiago de Cuba, Holguín, Granma, and Las Tunas have begun to implement a series of measures to avoid repeating the experience encountered during Hurricane Oscar.

Several provinces in the country activated the Defense Councils to mitigate the impacts of these weather phenomena.

In the province of Granma, Yanetsy Terry Gutiérrez, the vice president of the Provincial Defense Council, emphasized the importance of directly informing the public about the blackouts affecting the eastern region, as reported by the official newspaper La Demajagua.

The official acknowledged that, amid the current energy crisis, "traditional media will not be able to reach everyone, making it imperative to utilize all alternative channels," to prevent people from being exposed to danger due to a lack of information, as happened in Guantánamo during Hurricane Oscar, when some individuals were unaware of its proximity or the evacuation plans.

Terry also ordered protection for full-term pregnant women, chronic illness patients, including nephrotic patients, and individuals with wandering behavior.

Similarly, he emphasized the need to pay special attention to neighborhoods located in low-lying areas that are prone to flooding, "to protect citizens before the rains make actions more difficult," the news portal reported.

A similar measure is being adopted in the province of Holguín, where, in anticipation of imminent rain and already saturated soils, evacuation plans are being activated to relocate residents to safe areas. This action particularly targets those living in flood-prone zones, such as areas near riverbanks and water reservoirs.

The official Radio Angulo reported that during a meeting of the Provincial Defense Council, the importance of communication, the protection of human lives, the speed of evacuations, and the assurance of food and protection of material resources was emphasized, with particular attention to the areas near the Moa dam and monitoring the climatic phenomenon.

Similarly, the province of Santiago de Cuba is implementing measures such as deploying medical brigades to remote areas and transferring nephrotic patients and pregnant women at term to appropriate healthcare facilities.

According to the news portal Sierra Maestra, the nine municipalities are working on the details to protect the population, with a focus on the 30 communities located downstream from the reservoirs, where rescue and salvage brigades have been deployed.

The harvest and marketing of agricultural products have accelerated, and the regulated family basket is being distributed in the stores. Arrangements have been made for the return of campers and the transfer of tourists to safe locations, while fuel is being distributed for emergency generators that provide power to essential centers in case of electricity outages.

Guantánamo, the area most affected by Hurricane Oscar, began a mass evacuation of residents from San Antonio del Sur to the city of Guantánamo on Saturday, due to the imminent threat of heavy rains and the risk of river flooding.

The Civil Defense warned of the high risk of flooding in the area, as the rains could lead to a rapid increase in river water levels, similar to what occurred 15 days ago during Hurricane Oscar, which resulted in eight deaths and two missing persons in that region.

The Forecasting Center of the Institute of Meteorology (INSMET) alerted this Sunday about the presence of a trough in the lower levels of the troposphere over the Dominican Republic, which has led to showers and thunderstorms in the eastern region of Cuba.

In a note published on Facebook, the Forecast Center reported that the provinces most affected by the rains have been Guantánamo, with accumulations of 57.8 millimeters in Jamal and 63.7 millimeters in Palenque de Yateras.

On another note, INSMET reported that there is an area of low pressure in the southern Caribbean Sea, characterized by abundant cloud cover and thunderstorms. Although still disorganized, it has a high probability of developing into a tropical cyclone within the next 24 hours.