The heavy rains that have battered the eastern region of Cuba in the days following the passage of the hurricane Melissa have caused new rises in the Sagua and Cabañas rivers.
This forced the urgent evacuation of hundreds of families in the municipalities of Sagua de Tánamo and Moa, two of the areas hardest hit by the recent weather event.
According to local reports, authorities issued an immediate evacuation order for residents in low-lying areas due to the rapid rise of the waters.
In Sagua de Tánamo, the floods once again affected communities that were still recovering from the damage caused by Melissa days earlier.
"It is advised that the entire population proceed with immediate evacuation," warned journalist Yulianela Barzaga Gómez from Radio Ecos de Sagua, who recounted how the notice was spread from house to house to prevent a tragedy.
In Moa, the situation was similar.
The director of the station La Voz del Níquel, Camilo Velazco Petittón, confirmed the evacuation of the residents of the ECRIN neighborhood due to the rising levels of the Cabañas River, which surpassed its usual banks by more than three meters.
More than 260 people were moved to safe locations, while personnel from the Ministry of the Interior, members of the Defense Council, and rescue brigades participated in the transfer to the shelter located at the Ñico López pre-university.
"Close monitoring is being maintained on the Cabañas River in Moa, just about to overflow the bridge that leads to the Pedro Sotto Alba factory," specified on Facebook.
The rainfall recorded in the area—over 116 millimeters at the Moa Derivadora—forced the opening of gates to relieve the reservoirs and prevent greater damage, as explained by journalist Yulieska Hernández García on Facebook.
"The river, slow but unyielding, continues to rise. At the access bridge to the Comandante Pedro Sotto Alba factory, it was already brushing against the sidewalk. And there is no longer any passage through the old Military Sector," the communicator described in another post.
The victims of Hurricane Melissa now face new losses, with homes and crops damaged and no resources to recover what little they had.
This was acknowledged by journalist Yulianela Barzaga Gomez, who revealed that the Sagua River rose again on Tuesday night and flooded the low-lying areas that have not yet fully recovered from Hurricane Melisa.
"The water levels were not as high as the previous flood, but they did penetrate several homes. Together with the CDM, neighbors, and friends on social media, a quick alert was successfully sent to the residents (over 2,500) who undertook self-evacuation, prioritizing their lives above all," he said on Facebook.
Update on dams and rivers in Yara
The president of the Municipal Assembly of People's Power (AMPP) of Yara reported that the hydrological situation in the municipality is being closely monitored due to the intermittent rains affecting the region.
The Paso Malo dam has reduced its discharge to 125 m³/s, while the Bueycito dam shows a flow of 107.7 m³/s and the Yao River records 100 m³/s.
Authorities assure that, for the moment, there is no risk of flooding, although constant monitoring is being maintained.
According to the leader, hours earlier, the discharge from the Paso Malo dam reached 201 m³/s.
The rains in the mountains continued to affect the growth of the Buey River, especially in Buey Arriba, where intense rainfall was reported along with an increase in the flow of the Yao River, which caused a surge of water towards the town of Lawten.
Preventive measures have been issued for the population: stay informed through official channels, avoid approaching rivers, dams, and low-lying areas, protect important documents and belongings, and ensure the safety of children, the elderly, and vulnerable families.
Despite the swift action of neighbors and volunteers, the situation once again highlights the severe deterioration of the country's infrastructure and the vulnerability of Cuban communities in the face of natural disasters.
In Cuba, where wages are insufficient and construction materials are scarce, every weather event turns into a prolonged catastrophe.
Although local authorities assure that "no one will be left helpless," the reality in the affected communities tells a different story: entire families without shelter, lost belongings, and a weary population that survives more through neighborly solidarity than through institutional response.
Meanwhile, the Defense Council maintains the "monitoring phase" in several municipalities in eastern Cuba, due to the risk of new flooding from the ongoing rainfall.
On social media, local journalists have called for discipline and caution, but they have also revealed the exhaustion and despair of the people, who once again face the disaster virtually alone.
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