The water hinders the rescue: No access to several communities in Holguín after Hurricane Melissa passed through

The flooding caused by the overflow of the Cauto River is leaving several communities in the Urbano Noris municipality (Holguín) cut off and has so far prevented the completion of rescue operations following Hurricane Melissa, according to an official update released at 6:45 p.m. this Wednesday.

Local authorities report a “critical state” due to flooding and at least eight ongoing incidents, prioritizing the areas of Estrada, San Bartolo, Travesía, Cauto 3, and the Urban Popular Council of the South.

"Contact has been made with the residents of Travesía, La Camilo, 20 Rosas, Sabanilla, Saín, Dos Bocas, and Estrada. All of them are hoping to be rescued. Various attempts have been made to reach these rural communities, but the volume of water has caused these operations to fail, specified the note from the station Radio SG La voz del Azúcar."

The response teams managed to reach the communities of Rey, El Zorral, and San Bartolo, in addition to assisting a family from the cleaning center of the Southern Council.

To achieve this, it was necessary to clear the access roads from the municipal head towards El Zorral and Cauto 3, a task that allowed for the movement of resources, assessment of damages, and evacuation of the first affected individuals wherever the water level permitted.

Despite these advances, the hydrometeorological conditions have thwarted successive attempts to reach other rural settlements: contact is only maintained with residents of Travesía, La Camilo, 20 Rosas, Sabanilla, Saín, Dos Bocas, and Estrada, who are still awaiting rescue.

The volume of accumulated water on roads and pathways has caused several planned operations to fail in breaking the isolation, according to the local report. 

In the afternoon, forces from the Eastern Army were deployed to strengthen the rescue efforts.

With your support, the rescue of a number of those affected in the rural community of Rey-2 was secured. This relocation required clearing a section of the San Germán–Holguín route, which connects access to the rest of the settlements that still lack a passable road.

As long as the floods and lack of access persist, the emergency device will continue to focus on ensuring the safety of the residents of San Germán —the municipal seat of San Germán—, maintaining communication with isolated communities and opening safe corridors to evacuate those at greater risk.

The Municipal Defense Council reported that "there is no rest" in the protection of the population and that efforts are being directed, simultaneously, towards restoring critical roads to expedite the arrival of aid to the most affected areas.