HAVANA – The Cuban government has declared a state of emergency for its eastern provinces following a catastrophic deluge that has submerged towns, severed vital transport links, and triggered a major humanitarian response.
Torrential rains, which have pounded the island for days, have caused severe flooding in the provinces of Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo. The relentless downpours have transformed streets into raging rivers, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents from their homes to higher ground.
Critical Infrastructure Paralyzed
The storm's fury has crippled essential services and infrastructure. Officials reported widespread damage to the electrical grid and aqueduct systems, leaving many communities without power or access to clean drinking water. The situation is particularly dire in rural and mountainous areas, where access for emergency crews remains a significant challenge.
Key transport arteries have also been severely impacted. "The flooding has caused the collapse of several roads and bridges, completely cutting off some communities," a civil defence official stated. This isolation is hampering efforts to assess the full scale of the damage and deliver much-needed aid to the most affected zones.
Mass Evacuations and Rescue Efforts
In a race against the rising waters, Cuban authorities have coordinated the large-scale evacuation of citizens from high-risk areas. While the exact number of people displaced is still being tallied, initial reports suggest several thousand have been moved to temporary shelters established in government buildings and schools.
So far, there have been no official reports of fatalities or injuries, a testament to the proactive evacuation measures. Rescue teams, including soldiers and civil defence workers, are using boats to navigate flooded neighbourhoods, searching for any residents who may still be trapped.
A Region on Alert
The extreme weather event underscores the vulnerability of the Caribbean region to intense rainfall and flooding, phenomena often exacerbated by climate change. The Cuban government continues to monitor the situation closely, with meteorological warnings still in effect for the eastern part of the country.
The focus now is on providing immediate relief to those affected and beginning the arduous task of rebuilding damaged infrastructure once the floodwaters recede.
