More than 400 people were evacuated due to the floods caused by the phenomenon’s constant downpours
At least three deaths left heavy rains in Cuba after the passage of Cyclone Agatha
Heavy rains from the remnants of Cyclone Agatha, which hit several provinces and the capital of Cuba this Friday, left at least three dead, one missing and thousands of inhabitants without electricity, authorities reported.
“Strong and intense rains and electrical storms have been affecting the western and central regions of Cuba with accumulations greater than 200 millimeters,” which will continue on Saturday, predicted the Cuban Institute of Meteorology (Insmet).
A 44-year-old man was found dead at night, hours after having disappeared in the western province of Pinar del Río, falling into a stream, reported the state news portal Cubadebate, which also reported the disappearance of another citizen in that region.
The death had been reported earlier of two people in Havana, where the 15 municipalities that make up the capital were affected, after intense rainfall since Thursday night.
More than 400 people were evacuated due to the floods caused by the constant downpours of the phenomenon < p class=”paragraph”>“The water almost reaches the waist of the people,” said Luis Antonio Torres, first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PPC) in the capital, while visiting the municipality of Cerro, one of the most damaged areas, where at least one bridge fell and the water penetrated some homes.
The persistent rains are the remains of Agatha, the hurricane that hit the Pacific coast in southern Mexico, and which out to the Atlantic became “possible tropical cyclone One”, according to the Center of Miami Hurricanes, Florida.
The authorities indicated that during the day there were 60 partial collapses and one total of buildings in Havana, generally in very poor condition. While 400 people were evacuated.
Television images showed rescuers in areas of Central Havana evacuating people in canoes and cars submerged in the water.
In a meeting to assess the damage and coordinate actions, chaired by the Prime Minister of the Republic, Manuel Marrero Cruz, it was reported that 1,836 decided to leave their homes to take shelter. The official warned about the seriousness of the landslides and asked to take precautions.
While 7% of the people in Havana were affected by damage to the electrical service, that is, 50,000 users, he added.
The rains “have produced floods in towns from Pinar del Río (western end) to Sancti Spíritus (Center) and in the Isla de la Juventud Special Municipality (south of Havana),” said Insmet.
The agency asked “to continue paying attention to the hydrometeorological situation in each territory”, due to the saturation of water in the soil due to the rains.
According to the Hurricane Center, “One” It has maximum winds of 65km/h and travels at a rate of 7km/h in its translation, so it is expected to reach the Florida peninsula on Saturday.
The hurricane season begins every year on June 1 and ends on November 30, for the North Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean area.
(With information from AFP)< /i>