The town of Jibacoa in Villa Clara is cut off due to heavy rains associated with Hurricane Rafael

The mountainous settlement of Jibacoa, located in the Escambray region of Villa Clara, has been cut off due to the heavy rains caused by Hurricane Rafael.

Since this morning, the rains have been affecting the municipality of Manicaragua, complicating circulation and access to the community, reported the local state broadcaster Telecubanacán.

In response to the situation, the Provincial Defense Council of Villa Clara has activated its risk reduction strategy and has sent a medical team, supplies, and other essential resources to Jibacoa and other vulnerable areas in the mountains, the report indicates.

Ismel López Martín, president of the Defense Zone in the area, is currently closely monitoring the situation in the Jibacoa Valley, which traditionally floods due to water retention in the sinkhole, potentially obstructing access to Topes de Collantes through that route.

Between seven and eleven in the morning, 47 millimeters of rain had fallen in the area, and it was expected that the volume would increase in the coming hours.

In Villa Clara, the evacuation of individuals to safe locations intensified, reaching a total of 13,130 protected people, with 12,013 in solidarity housing and 1,117 in evacuation centers, including women, children, the elderly, pregnant individuals, and people with disabilities.

The response teams and resources were mobilized to support residents, especially given the possibility that weather conditions may worsen in the coming hours, the regime explained.

Hurricane Rafael, which made landfall at Playa Majana in southern Artemisa as a category 3, now has sustained winds of 175 km/h, placing it in category 2. It is expected to move back out to sea between Pinar del Río and Artemisa.

Cuban meteorologist Raydel Ruisánchez reported on Facebook that Hurricane Rafael will continue to move over the province of Artemisa heading northwest at a speed of 22 km/h, and it is expected to exit to sea between Bahía Honda (Artemisa) and La Mulata (Pinar del Río) between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. this Wednesday.