HAVANA: The death toll from heavy rains and flooding in eastern and central Cuba has reached six, according to official media reports on Tuesday. As the waters recede, thousands of evacuees have begun to return home, only to find widespread damage to their properties.
The Granma, the government’s official mouthpiece, stated that the heavy rains, which commenced last Thursday, have finally subsided and water levels are gradually receding. The eastern provinces of Granma, Las Tunas, and Santiago de Cuba have reported four fatalities, while two lives were tragically lost in central Camaguey.
Additionally, the torrential downpours have caused significant damage to bridges, roads, sanitation systems, and hundreds of homes throughout the affected regions.
Rains and Flooding Damages in Cuba
The agricultural sector has also been severely impacted, with thousands of hectares of crops, including vital sugar cane plantations, being destroyed. This catastrophic event has come at a time when Cuba is already grappling with its worst economic crisis in decades.
Addressing the situation in a videoconference with provincial authorities late Monday, President Miguel Diaz-Canel described the flooding as an “atypical event” directly linked to climate change. He further emphasized that certain areas experienced flood levels unseen in three decades, while residents in other regions reported witnessing unprecedented water levels.
The recent flooding follows months of severe drought that had plagued Cuba’s eastern regions. The abrupt shift from extreme dryness to intense rainfall has exacerbated the challenges faced by the island nation.
