Heavy rains leave 3 dead and severe damages and collapses of buildings in Havana. LAHT. + video by Ignacio González Vidal, Cuban independent journalist.
Video document by Ignacio González Vidal - independent Cuban journalist- people are upset by lack of assistance
HAVANA – Heavy rains and high winds left three people dead and caused severe damage to 27 buildings in this capital of some 2 million residents, Cuban official media reported Thursday.
A woman of 77 and a 43-year-old man died of drowning, while a 24-year-old man was electrocuted by downed power lines, Havana authorities said.
Heavy downpours and strong winds on Wednesday caused “24 partial collapses and three total collapses” and numerous homes were affected by floodwaters more than 2 meters (6.5 feet) deep in some spots.
In Habana Vieja, the oldest part of the city, it was necessary to remove 151 residents from their homes amid serious obstacles to transit, Communist Party daily Granma said.
The storm damaged 39 electrical circuits, water reservoirs and jammed transit and public transportation in the city, where two tunnels had to be closed.
Cuba’s Meteorological Institute said the flash floods in low-lying areas of Havana were caused by “a line of severe electric storms that formed quickly over the Florida Strait ahead of a cold front.”
Havana experienced “intense rainfall in some locations, hail and strong winds” with gusts of up to 98 kph (61 mph), the Institute said.
The rains followed several days of intense heat in Cuba, with temperatures soaring to 38.7 C (100.3 F) in the eastern province of Holguin, the second-highest reading on record.