None of the Ciego de Ávila`s reservoirs is in hydrological prevention, so they could receive large volumes of water in the event that the intense rains that have affected the west of the country precipitate starting this Saturday afternoon, as has been forecast.

With a total of 149,144 million cubic meters, Ciego de Ávila`s dams are barely 39.3 percent full and present a favorable situation, Gisela Rodríguez Santana, director of the Hydraulic Utilization Company in Ciego de Ávila, before the Provincial Defense Council, explained.

She also reported that the underground aquifers, after the May rains, have recovered volumes and today they are at 79 percent, with the capacity to assimilate more, although runoff and infiltration are slower processes. So, given the saturation of the soil, it would be necessary to be vigilant in low-lying areas.

Oscar Benedico Rodríguez, director of the Provincial Meteorological Center, had explained at the beginning of the meeting of the highest management body that areas of intense rain would move from South to North through the territory at the end of this Saturday and Sunday morning, with the possibility of precipitation of 100 millimeters or more, in less than 24 hours, in some localities in the center and northwest of the province.

Hence, the Hydraulic Use directive also provided information on places prone to flooding. With the very fresh memory of what happened during the passage of tropical storm Eta, Guayacanes was the center of attention.

Liván Izquierdo Alonso, president of the Provincial Defense Council, asked about the time intervals and the millimeters of rain, that would be needed for the town to be flooded, as well as the number of potentially vulnerable people.

“We are going to wait for the waters in the places. We cannot allow hundreds of families to lose their belongings for not foreseeing all possible scenarios. We still have more than 1,000 victims of previous events," he said.

Other localities susceptible to flooding due to intense rainfall are some low-lying areas in Majagua, the area downstream of the Las Margaritas dam, the center of the main city if La Turbina overflows, and at least 2 popular councils in Morón.

Izquierdo Alonso directed informing the population, especially that of those places, so that they take their preventive measures, and insisted on verifying that the measures contained in the risk prevention plans are fulfilled as they are designed.

“It may not rain heavily, but we have to prepare in case it does. And the first thing is people's lives," he said, also commenting on the news of at least three deaths on Friday, in the provinces of Pinar del Río and Havana.

At the meeting of the Defense Council, it was learned that all the boats were safe and that the almost 2,000 heads of cattle to be evacuated by Agriculture are identified and quartered, awaiting the order to move them to higher places.