Cuba has declared a state of alarm in the vicinity of “Eta”

The tropical depression gained intensity this Saturday 7-N and became a storm on the way to the island. Preventive evacuation has begun in some regions.

The tropical Eta depression gained intensity this Saturday 7-N in the Caribbean Sea and has become a storm on the way to Cuba, which awaits it tonight with its central provinces in a state of alarm.

After hitting Central America like a hurricane and leaving more than 150 deaths and extensive damage, Eta is now heading to Cuba and Florida.

According to the Institute of Meteorology, Eta was located at noon “55 kilometers north of Cayman Grande and 260 kilometers southwest of Trinidad, Sancti Spíritus (Cuba). Eta is moving rapidly from east to northeast to a speed of 28 kilometers per hour “, with winds of up to 80 km / h.

“A gradual intensification is expected as we approach today (Saturday) to the south of the central region of Cuba, increasing the rainfall in much of the archipelago, which can be strong and intense, even in areas far from the center,” he warned the Civil Protection.

Therefore, an alarm phase was decreed for the province of Matanzas (west) and for those of Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spíritus, Ciego de Ávila (center).

This entity ordered the provincial and municipal governments “to rationally comply with the measures envisaged in their respective disaster risk reduction plans”.

Since dawn, transport on trains and buses on the island has been suspended, as well as by sea to Isla de la Juventud, south of Havana.

Those territories have already begun evacuating people to safe places, with food and medical assistance; as well as some water cisterns are “raised” in view of the heavy rains that accompany Eta.

Local television has started a continuous special program to inform the population.

Cyclonic protocol

The Cuban cyclone protocol establishes the information, warning, alarm and recovery phases before, during and after the passage of a storm.

The three provinces most affected at this time by the covid-19 outbreaks – Pinar del Río, Ciego de Ávila and Sancti Spiritus – are among the areas on alert and alert, which complicated preparations and evacuation in the face of the storm.

At the end of August, the tropical storm Laura traveled from east to west along the southern coast of the country, affecting all its territory, causing damage to almost 14,200 hectares of crops, but leaving no victims.

In October, Hurricane Delta forced the evacuation of approximately 14,000 people in the western part of the country, although this storm did not land in the Caribbean country or cause significant damage.

The last time a major hurricane hit Cuba was in 2017, when Irma traveled along the island’s north coast from east to west, leaving 10 deaths and material losses amounting to $ 13.185 million in housing, infrastructure and agricultural and livestock sectors, according to official data.