A torrential downpour flooded the streets of downtown Matanzas this Saturday, as documented by city residents in videos shared on Facebook, showing overflowing streams of water and streets completely covered by rain.
One of the posts, signed by Nitzy/Motivos para Sonreír, describes the moment when the center was flooded after a sudden downpour: "I wanted to make a different video and look how different it turned out, it all started out so nicely until the rain came. Matanzas flooded just a few minutes ago, I had to share this with you, watch until the end." Another user, Nayrobis Molina, posted images of water pouring heavily onto the flooded ground and explained that she had been unable to leave her house.
The scenes from this Saturday are not an isolated incident. On September 8th, a severe local storm hit the province between 1:50 p.m. and 2:45 p.m., with hail the size of peas and wind gusts exceeding 70 km/h, according to meteorologist Henry Delgado Manzor.
That episode left several electrical circuits out of service and affected the supply to the Military Hospital and Faustino Pérez Hospital, in addition to shutting down the pumping systems of the Canímar and El Cocal wells.
In the municipality of Unión de Reyes, another severe storm recorded in the days prior reached straight-line winds of up to 95 km/h and dropped 30.4 mm of rain in just 22 minutes, according to local media. The aftermath included partial collapses in 18 homes, the total collapse of two buildings, severe damage to the local sports complex, and the roof being lifted off the Juan Gualberto Gómez pharmacy.
Behind the recurrent floods lies a structural problem that worsens each rainy season. The drains and sewers of Matanzas become clogged with garbage accumulating on the streets, the collection of which is hampered by a lack of fuel: in May 2026, only 11 out of the 24 garbage trucks were operational.
Every heavy rain drags waste into the San Juan and Yumurí rivers and the bay of Matanzas, worsening the overflow. In August, the rivers and bay had already overflowed, carrying garbage with them, and neighborhoods such as La Marina and Versalles accumulate wastewater and informal dumps, turning any downpour into a public health emergency.
The situation reflects decades of deterioration in the urban infrastructure of the province, where the waste management crisis, frequent blackouts, and the collapse of the drainage system combine to put Matanzas facing water shortages and blackouts even under normal conditions, leaving it vulnerable to storms when the convective season arrives.
Convective activity in the western region of Cuba has been particularly intense between September 8 and 12, and there are no signs that weather conditions will improve in the coming days.
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