Residents of the municipality of Río Cauto (Granma) are leaving their homes on their own due to the rapid rise of the water and the ongoing isolation of certain areas, according to numerous citizen reports on social media describing flooded streets and homes submerged, while urgent assistance is being requested.
“The town of Río Cauto is completely flooded… the water is rising too quickly,” warned users who had been alerting about the worsening situation since the previous night.
In parallel, the authorities indicated that the level of the Cauto River has started to decrease between Cauto Cristo (Granma) and Baraguá (Santiago de Cuba), although they acknowledged that several communities remain flooded and rescue operations are underway.
A commission made up of leaders from the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR), the Eastern Army, and the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INRH) visited Cauto Cristo and Río Cauto —the most affected by the rains and flooding— and advised to continue with evacuations and constant monitoring of reservoirs and the river course in its lower section.
The provincial delegate of INRH, Marbelis Campos Busquet, stated that the 11 reservoirs in Granma are in “perfect technical condition” and that nine have reached their maximum level, while also dismissing any concerns about the Cauto El Paso dam being out of control.
He explained that the reservoir has transformed high volumes coming from Baraguá and Céspedes, and although it continues to discharge, it does so within parameters considered normal for its design.
Despite the official reports, publications in local groups —such as Revolico Río Cauto— reveal a more severe picture: images of flooded neighborhoods in communities like Trinidad and in buildings of the municipality, testimonies from families reporting access cuts and messages urging “to stop lying and help the population”.
Those reports assert that the emergency “is not under control” and that a return to normalcy still seems distant.
Amid the contingency, evacuations continue. About 1,300 residents of Guamo were urgently relocated to the municipality of Jobabo (Las Tunas) due to the risk of further flooding, while teams from the Red Cross of Cuba and rescue forces conduct operations in Cauto Embarcadero, within the municipality of Río Cauto itself.
In the most complicated areas, neighbors have chosen to move "as best they can" to higher ground while awaiting assistance, according to citizen reports.
"We continue to ask for help and I am not going to tire of doing so until something is done, the water is rising too quickly, if you look at my profile, since last night and see how the situation is evolving," denounced another neighbor.
With saturated soils and reservoirs still overflowing, authorities are continuing hydraulic monitoring and urging enhanced caution.
The priority, they noted, is to maintain rescue and evacuation operations in areas that remain underwater, while communications are gradually restored and safe corridors are opened for access to aid.
Meanwhile, local testimonies confirm that many continue to evacuate on their own to ensure their safety from the advancing floods.
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