14ymedio, Natalia López Moya, Havana, 5 February 2024 — Although the government of Havana had urged measures to be taken in the face of possible flooding in some sections of the Malecón, waves rose over the wall and flooded the road, and the traffic on Monday afternoon was cut off.
In the lower areas of El Vedado the waters began to rise around five in the afternoon, and part of the Avenida de los Presidentes in the area closest to the sea began to flood.
Few people remained on the streets, and the wind dragged garbage containers for some distance. Users on social networks, residents along the Malecón, shared images that illustrated how the waves burst over the wall and inundated several streets in El Vedado.
After increasing deterioration of weather conditions on the north coast of Havana, the local government determined “the closure of circulation on Malecón Avenue” after 5 pm. “The call to stay alert and comply with the measures established in the face of this type of hydrometeorological event is reiterated,” the Government of Havana posted on its Facebook page.
The Institute of Meteorology predicted for Monday winds of 16 to 25 miles per hour in Havana, which would cause penetrations by the sea. The day was preceded by storms on Sunday that caused the collapse of roofs and electric poles in the neighborhood of Lawton.
The institute said that on Monday afternoon in Pinar del Río, there were gusts of winds of more than 62 miles per hour. In the Casa Blanca station, in the capital, the wind reached 57 mph, and in provinces such as Villa Clara, Camagüey and Sancti Spíritus, the gusts ranged between 45 and 55 mph.
Numerous showers and thunderstorms were common throughout of the day in almost the entire country. The strong winds in the capital kept some streets deserted, with people sheltering at home waiting for the end of the storm, which was predicted to last part of the night and into the early morning of Tuesday in the western part of the country.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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