Heavy rains caused deadly floods in various provinces in eastern and central Cuba.
The death toll from torrential rains and flooding in eastern and central Cuba has risen to six, state media reported Tuesday, as thousands of evacuees began returning home amid widespread property damage.
The Granma government spokeswoman said the heavy rains that began last Thursday have subsided and the water levels are now lower.
It added that four people died in the eastern provinces of Granma, Las Tunas and Santiago de Cuba, while two people died in central Camaguey.
Bridges, roads and sewage systems were damaged by the rains, as well as several hundred homes.
Thousands of hectares of crops, including sugarcane, have been destroyed in the island nation which is grappling with its worst economic crisis in decades.
“Without a doubt, this was an extraordinary event,” President Miguel Diaz-Canel said during a video conference with regional authorities late Monday, adding: “This is directly related to climate change.”
In some places, the president said, floods have reached levels not seen in 30 years, while residents of some areas have reported levels not seen before.
The floods came after months of severe drought in eastern Cuba.
© 2023 AFP
the quote: Six dead in Cuba floods, hundreds of homes destroyed (2023, June 13) Retrieved June 13, 2023 from https://phys.org/news/2023-06-dead-cuba-hundreds-houses.html
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