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Floods

Cuba Braces for Floods as Hurricane Melissa Disrupts Eastern Provinces

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Severe flooding caused by torrential rains from Hurricane Melissa has trapped people in rural areas and towns across eastern Cuba, with rescue operations and evacuations ongoing in the province of Granma. According to Cuban state television reporter Lázaro Manuel Alonso, emergency evacuations are taking place in several communities along the Cauto River, Cuba's longest, and the site of a major dam. The number of people expected to be evacuated from Cauto Embarcadero, Melones, Cayama, and other villages is anticipated to rise up to 7,500.

Key Takeaways:

  • Emergency evacuations are underway in the province of Granma, with a focus on communities along the Cauto River, where some 7,500 people are expected to be relocated.
  • The Cauto River Basin is facing a critical point of flooding due to intense rains, dam releases, runoff from the Sierra Maestra mountains, and the dangerous penetration of the sea that blocks the river mouth.
  • Cauto Embarcadero is close to the Cauto del Paso dam, one of the largest in eastern Cuba, with no evacuation order in place despite reassurances from local authorities that the dam is not at risk of collapsing or overflowing.
  • As of early Friday, about 2,500 people had been evacuated from Cauto Embarcadero and were being housed in several schools in Bayamo, the province's capital city.
  • The evacuation operation is a complex operation carried out by combined forces from the Bayamo Fire Command, along with reinforcements from other provinces and members of the Red Cross.
  • Relatives of people trapped by the flooding have taken to social media to publish urgent calls for information about their loved ones.

Statistics:

  • 7,500: The number of people expected to be evacuated from Cauto Embarcadero, Melones, Cayama, and other villages in the province of Granma.
  • 4,000 cubic meters per second: The rate at which the Cauto River was releasing water downstream from the Cauto el Paso dam due to the massive influx of water.
  • 2,500: The number of people evacuated from Cauto Embarcadero and housed in several schools in Bayamo as of early Friday.
  • 7,500: The number of people expected to be relocated to safer areas.

Sources:

  • NBC 6 South Florida
  • Cuban state television reporter Lázaro Manuel Alonso on Facebook
  • Radio Bayamo
  • Granma TV station
  • Miami Herald (Associated Press)

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