Several areas of the city of Ciego de Ávila were affected by flash flooding, following heavy rainfall recorded in the afternoon of this Saturday.
Intense rainfall has marked the beginning of the rainy season in the central province, which will last until October, and arrives amid a severe drought affecting the area.
The rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms, flooded areas with poor urban drainage, causing rapid accumulations of water in streets, yards, and driveways.
Through its Facebook profile, the Provincial Meteorological Center (CMP) of Ciego de Ávila shared images of water accumulations in El Algarrobo and other areas of the provincial capital.
"The street Ciego de Ávila has also been crowded for years, as the sewage systems of Marcial Gómez and Abraham Delgado are inadequate," mentioned a user identified as Elizabeth SP on the portal Ciego de Ávila Información, on the social network itself.
However, neighbors attribute part of the problem to the accumulation of garbage. "These floods are not due to the amount of rain; they are caused by blockages from all the trash piled up in every corner from the center to the neighborhoods," stated Rodalys Gómez.
Despite the problems, some voices consider the rains necessary. “Well, given the drought we have, it’s not bad for it to rain once in a while... it’s needed,” expressed Yenisleidi Yeni.
The event was anticipated by the CMP, which had warned of heavy rains in the afternoon hours of Saturday. Images from the weather radar confirmed significant convective activity in several areas of the province, including Morón.
Authorities recommended avoiding travel through flooded areas, staying indoors during thunderstorms, and not drinking rainwater as it may contain contaminants.
This was the first heavy downpour of May in Ciego de Ávila, highlighting the need to pay attention to the vulnerability of certain urban areas in the face of intense rainfall.
Also this Saturday, a severe local storm caused damage to homes and the electrical system in a town in Puerto Padre, Las Tunas.
May officially marks the beginning of the rainy season in Cuba, and although on the first day of the month the rainfall was sparse and localized, mainly in the country's extremes, experts anticipate a gradual increase in rainfall activity in the coming days.
According to meteorologist Raydel Ruisánchez, the weather presenter at Telecentro ARTV Artemisa, the rainfall will occur due to a trough in the mid and upper levels of the atmosphere, an increase in relative humidity across much of the national territory, and daytime warming, which is typical for this time of year.
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