The intense rains that have been pounding the city of Baracoa since early Saturday morning, in the province of Guantánamo, have caused a new rise of the Miel River, submerging several low-lying areas of the municipality and rekindling residents' fears of another disaster similar to those that occurred in previous years.
Images shared on social media by pro-government user Carlos Pérez show streets turned into rivers, homes flooded and families trying to save their belongings .
According to citizen reports shared by the local page Primada Visión, the most affected neighborhoods are Bohórquez (streets 7 and 9), Cabacú (streets 13 and 15), the Reparto Dap, Dos Caminos, the Combinado Cárnico (Slaughterhouse) area, and Vega Larga.
The publications warn that "the situation on Calle 7 de Bohórquez remains critical," accompanied by photographs showing the encroachment of water over doorways, patios, and roads.
Some residents report that the flooding caught them off guard without an evacuation plan and without immediate support from the authorities.
The images show homes and schools filled with puddles after the flooding.
In Cabacú, in particular, water has been observed in the streets and corridors, which has forced the suspension of daily activities while damage assessments are conducted.
Among the affected facilities are the ESBU Adriano Galano Coutín and the “8 de Octubre” Pioneers Camp, where the floodwaters reached the hallways, in addition to causing damage to perimeter fences.
According to the report, the Management Councils of these centers and their staff have already begun sanitation and hygiene work to restore operations “as soon as possible,” once water levels have definitively receded and the safety of the areas has been verified.
The rise of the Miel River also affected the suspension bridge leading to the community of Vega Larga, a key structure for local residents' transit and the transportation of supplies.
Although deep structural damage is not detailed, the report indicates that the passage was compromised during the peak of the flooding.
In later updates, the images sent from Cabacú show that water levels have decreased and, for now, there is no danger to the population, according to the local authorities.
It is also assured that the situation is being addressed by local authorities, while monitoring and oversight of the river's evolution and weather conditions are maintained.
Baracoa, known as the "Primada of Cuba," has been one of the regions most affected by rains in recent years.
Communities like Boca de Miel remain virtually isolated, with destroyed roads, lack of electricity, and unstable basic services, which causes each new episode of heavy rain to reignite the fear of being cut off once again.
Neighbors point out that the official promises of repair and improvement of infrastructure have not been fulfilled, and that the combination of a rapidly rising river and fragile infrastructure turns each storm into a threat to their safety and livelihoods.
While local authorities insist that there is no imminent danger, residents of Baracoa continue to share videos and photographs of the floods and the subsequent cleanup efforts, as a way to document the impact of the rising waters and demand long-term solutions for a vulnerability that, they warn, repeats itself year after year without structural responses.
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