The protection of the population and economic resources are among the measures being adopted in Guantánamo ahead of the forecast of intense rains this weekend, as assessed by the Provincial Defense Council (CDP), with the presence of Yoel Pérez García, president of that governing body.

In information provided by Engineer Andrés Aragón Matos, head of the provincial forecasting group of the Meteorological Center in the territory, the presence of a deep trough east of Guantánamo, in addition to strong winds at altitude, a warm and humid flow from the Caribbean Sea and favorable local factors, will cause rains over the province that can accumulate up to 200 millimeters or more.

The mountainous areas may register heavy and locally intense precipitation, and river flooding and inundations in low-lying areas, due to the persistence of the rains, which means a complex situation over the geographical area of Guantánamo, with possible consequences at the same time and in different places.

Taking into account that these precipitations will affect a large part of the province, but concentrated in areas of the south, interior and the mountains, with the risk entailed by its orography in interaction with these events, the CDP specified the measures with the 10 municipalities to mitigate the effects of this meteorological situation.

It was specified that the fundamental thing is the safeguard of the population's life, whether in solidarity homes, relatives' homes or evacuation centers, if necessary, and insistence was placed on the protection of their property.

The importance of informing the people was also stressed, at a time of difficulties with electricity and affected radio signals, for which reason it was urged to boost house-to-house and direct messages with people, so that people know that we are going to face a complex meteorological event, warned the president of the CDP.

Regarding the reservoirs, with a total filling of 81.4 percent (%), it was said that some already have significant storage figures, such as La Yaya, the largest in the province, at 84.8% and Jaibo, at 87.9%, and insistence was placed on reviewing their technical condition.

Transport and the availability of four-wheel-drive vehicles in the Defense Zones and Municipal Defense Councils were specified, as well as the mobilization of equipment for cleaning the La Farola viaduct, with reports of landslides from Imías, where it is already raining, while drivers were called on to travel on that road only in cases of extreme urgency.

Other measures reviewed were the availability of medical services in areas that become cut off, reinforcement with resources such as oxygen and medicines, care for infants and pregnant women and their transfer to safe places, and drinking water service to the population.

Pérez García directed municipal authorities to evaluate the population living on the banks of rivers, where flooding occurs, and to alert those who are near a dry river, he reflected.

Food must be protected, animals moved from low areas to high ones, all the coffee that can be picked must be collected and then go out to gather it, because there will be an explosive ripening, he commented.

He noted that work teams from the province will go this Saturday to the municipalities to review, to touch with their hands, there is already rain that is accumulating, he warned, and called for much vigilance and observation of the weather and to activate the command posts of groups and subgroups of each Municipal Defense Council.

The month of October, he recalled, once again brings us a complex meteorological situation and he called on the population for cooperation and maximum discipline to mitigate the effects of the rains, and emphasized that work is being done to safeguard people's lives, which is the most important thing.