The overflow of the Guásimas stream in the municipality of Cárdenas, province of Matanzas, left several houses flooded this Saturday following the heavy rains that fell during the night from Friday to Saturday morning. The first images and testimonies were shared by the citizen journalist Christian Arbolaez, who documented the situation with reports from the ground and raised awareness about the extent of the damage.
Arbolaez received a report from a resident who arrived in the area at eight in the morning: “Everything is flooded. Water has entered the houses and reaches up to a meter in some of them. It’s sad and painful, brother. It’s striking to see so many homes underwater.” The captured images show streets completely submerged in cloudy brown water, leaning utility poles, and modest homes with visible damage.
The impacts are concentrated in the Guásimas neighborhood, specifically on the street located at the end of the ETECSA minipoint, according to reports. Initial reports indicate that the water level reached approximately one meter in some homes, a figure that reflects the severity of the incident.
Arbolaez pointed out that in addition to the intensity of the rainfall, there is "concern about the lack of maintenance of the drains and drainage systems," and asked, "How long will we have to wait for these problems to be addressed?" A resident who tried to ride their bicycle through those streets around nine in the morning described it as "almost impossible to get through" and attributed part of the issue to the "excessive amount of garbage that obstructs the flow of water."
Comments from residents on social media point to a long-standing structural problem. "The Guásimas creek is the dump," wrote a netizen. Another person explained that "there hasn't been maintenance on that creek for years" and that many neighbors throw waste into the stream, which worsens the overflow during heavy rains.
A resident with historical memory of the area recalled that in the past there was a network of ditches that ran "from Alturas de Varadero to the Guásimas stream and emptied into the sea," with constant maintenance. "They filled them all in, and the natural way to drain the rainwater is gone; the consequences are right there."
The affected area is described by its residents as "a hole," meaning a topographical depression that collects water when the stream overflows. One internet user summarized the recurring pattern: "If it rains for two consecutive days [...] the stream fills up [...] and boom, that part of Guásimas floods." Another resident who experienced the distressing night from Friday to Saturday wrote: "I thought I wouldn't escape," and urged her neighbors to come together to clean the stream in light of the government's inaction.
The episode is not an isolated incident. The province of Matanzas has experienced several similar events throughout 2026: in September, torrential rains flooded the center of the city of Matanzas due to the collapse of the urban drainage system, and earlier this month a severe storm caused damage in the municipality of Perico, with roofs torn off and streets submerged.
In August, a power failure at the Smith Comas well field left 70% of Cárdenas without water for three to four days, highlighting the fragility of basic services in the municipality.
The sanitation crisis in Matanzas has documented antecedents. In May 2026, the Municipal Company of Communal Services in the provincial capital had only 11 operational trucks, compared to the 24 or 25 it could mobilize with support from other entities, as acknowledged by its directors. The fuel shortage hampered waste collection and favored the proliferation of dumpsites.
October, the last month of the Cuban rainy season —which lasts from May to October— still carries the risk of heavy rainfall and flash floods. In this context, the accumulation of garbage in waterways and drainage systems poses an additional danger for communities vulnerable to flooding, such as could happen in the Guásimas neighborhood in Cárdenas if its creek becomes blocked.
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