From our Bureau of Socialist Building Maintenance with some assistance from our Bureau of Rainy Days in Tropical Socialist Utopias
The severe rainstorms that swept through western Cuba this past weekend –which brought torrential rains, hail, and strong winds — have been devastating for hundreds of Cuban families. In Havana alone, over 200 building collapses have been reported. These are not wooden structures, mind you, but masonry buildings. According to Castro, Inc. 18 of these were TOTAL collapses and 207 were partial. But that distinction doesn’t really matter. Homes damaged by partial collapses can leave their inhabitants homeless, and for those who continue to live in these homes, their lives will remain in constant danger every time it rains.
Given Cuba’s lack of housing, these unsafe buildings remain inhabited, placing thousands of lives at risk. Of course, all of this is due to the “blockade.” Yeah.
Loosely translated from Diario de Cuba
The Havana Government reported that the rains, hailstorms, strong winds, and floods that several municipalities in the Cuban capital experienced during Friday and early Saturday morning, in addition to leaving thousands of homes without power, also left more marks on the deteriorated real estate infrastructure.
In the preliminary report on the housing situation, 18 total collapses of homes and 207 roof collapses were recorded, five of them total collapses, the provincial administration stated on its Facebook page.
The municipality of Cotorro suffered the most damage (151 houses), followed by San Miguel del Padrón (26), Arroyo Naranjo (18), and Boyeros (13).
According to authorities in the capital, some partial collapses were reported in Old Havana by late Saturday afternoon, but no human injuries were reported.
“The inventory of possible damages in that territory, as well as in Boyeros, Centro Habana, and Plaza de la Revolución, continues; it is projected that the repair of some roofs will begin this Sunday,” the note added.
At the moment, 18 service offices are activated, and 150 social workers are mobilized to assist affected families, according to the Government.
The General Director of Havana Water, Leonel Díaz García, said that 32 supply systems were damaged. Ariguanabo and El Gato are already active, and by the end of Saturday’s workday, the damages in Cuatro Caminos, Paso Seco, and Los Benignos should have been fixed.
On the other hand, the General Director of the state telecommunications monopoly, ETECSA, reported that work is underway to reactivate the 2,413 fixed telephone lines damaged by the meteorological event. Likewise, efforts were being made to restore damaged poles and other infrastructure.
continue reading HERE in Spanish