A torrential downpour flooded the streets of downtown Matanzas this Saturday, according to residents of the city who documented the event in videos posted on Facebook, showing overflowing water currents 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, it turned out different. It all started off so beautifully until the rain hit. Matanzas was flooded just a few minutes ago, I had to share this with you, watch until the end."
Another user, Nayrobis Molina, shared images of water pouring heavily onto the flooded ground and explained that she had been unable to leave her home.
The heavy rains this Saturday come just days after a severe local storm struck the city of Matanzas on September 7, between 1:50 p.m. and 2:45 p.m., bringing hail the size of peas and wind gusts exceeding 70 km/h, according to meteorologist Henry Delgado Manzor.
The weather event disrupted several electrical circuits and affected the supply to the Military Hospital and the Faustino Pérez Provincial Hospital, in addition to halting the pumping systems of the Canímar and El Cocal wells.
In the municipality of Unión de Reyes, another severe local storm recorded in the days prior reached straight-line winds of up to 95 km/h and delivered 30.4 mm of rain in just 22 minutes, according to local media reports. 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 recurring floods lies a structural problem that worsens with each rainy season. The drains and sewers in Matanzas become clogged with trash accumulating on the streets, whose collection is hindered by a lack of fuel: in May 2026, only 11 out of 24 garbage trucks were operational.
Heavy rains carry debris into the San Juan and Yumurí rivers and the bay of Matanzas, worsening the flooding. In August, the rivers and the bay had already overflowed, dragging along garbage, and neighborhoods such as La Marina and Versalles are accumulating wastewater and micro-dumps that turn 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 power outages, and the collapse of the drainage system combine to leave Matanzas facing water shortages and blackouts even in normal conditions, becoming vulnerable to storms when the convective season arrives.
Convective activity in the western region of Cuba has been particularly intense between September 8 and September 12, and there are no signs that weather conditions will improve in the coming days.
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