CAMAGÜEY.- In cyclonic alarm due to the proximity of the Elsa meteorological phenomenon, the province of Camagüey has safe this Sunday in state entities and houses of relatives and neighbors the populations residing in low areas prone to floods or penetrations of the sea, mainly in the municipalities of Santa Cruz del Sur, Florida and Nuevitas, as well as the city of Camagüey.
The convergence of the tropical event, which will mainly cause rains, and the difficult epidemiological situation caused by COVID-19, would have made the evacuation process more complex, taking into account the number of institutions that today function as isolation centers against the pandemic.
For this reason, and with the premise that no one is left helpless, since the Meteoro disaster reduction preparedness exercise, carried out in May, the identification of places with minimal conditions for the protection of the vulnerable population had priority. Now, when the information phase was decreed this Friday, 227 shelters were enlisted, and they also insisted on evacuating the homes of relatives and neighbors.
In this regard, Carmen Hernández Requejo, head of the evacuation subgroup of the Provincial Defense Council reported that the COVID-19 isolation center located in the Punta de Ganado campsite, on Santa Lucía beach and two in the municipality of Guáimaro were relocated to facilities with better security conditions in the event of meteorological events.
During the cyclonic alert phase decreed on Saturday morning and continuing with what was done the previous day, products from the family basket and others in inventory were sold in an accelerated manner in the commercial and gastronomy units; and food production, harvesting, and the protection of stored goods and animals, as well as construction materials, were prioritized.
Already in cyclonic alarm, due to the proximity of the tropical event Elsa to the national territory, entities that produce basic foodstuffs work uninterruptedly to ensure the supplies of food to the population and adopted the necessary measures to protect the resources and facilities most vulnerable to the meteorological event. .
The director of the La Vaquita cheese factory, Marialeyda Aguilera López, told the media in the territory that “during the information phase the center had already taken several precautions that were increased with the establishment of the cyclonic alert and alarm. We have made a transfer of our raw material in thermoquins, larger refrigerators, and the finished products are concentrated in a safe place to avoid being damaged by a flood ".
Aguilera López affirmed that the institution will continue its work with the production of a variety of cheeses such as cream, criollo, coral, fresh, melted and yoghurts of different flavors and added that the custody of food goods and others such as electronic equipment.
The Fishing Company of the territory (Pescacam) also undertook the actions to safeguard the possible attacks of the meteorological phenomenon. Its director, Jesús García Collazo said: "The vessels that were working, returned to their bases and on Saturday we got involved in the fisheries in the different reservoirs, to have the necessary base in the preparation of our elaborations."
The reserve is generated from the areas of that facility during this exceptional stage. "We process hamburgers, seasoned mincemeat, natural and fillets for the consumption of the population", expressed the technologist of the industry Leonel Francés Ramírez. He added, in addition, that they guaranteed the protection of the glassware, the most vulnerable roofs and the preparation of the personnel in the face of any disaster situation.
The Territorial Fuel Marketing Division in this region got ready for the adverse weather conditions. This was stated by its director Niurka González Pérez: "We ensure the supply of fuels to service centers, mainly the three types of gasoline that we sell, and Diesel, and the supply of the latter to around 60 emergency generators in the province" .
González Pérez affirmed that this Saturday they deposited 3 613 cylinders in the 18 points of sale released of liquefied gas to the population in the municipality of Camagüey. Then, "we evacuate the computer media from those sites and the filling system in the liquefied gas tank for their protection."
Niurka pointed out that they prioritize services to hospitals, processing centers, isolation institutions to face COVID-19, among others, in order to continue their work in the midst of the meteorological phenomenon.
Leonardo Soto Romero, head of the Water subgroup, explained that they permanently monitor the reservoirs, currently 47% full and 58% dedicated to supplying the population. Since Friday afternoon, the Najasa II dam has been relieved due to the danger that it represents downstream for the populations of Santa Cruz del Sur; However, they will make decisions in accordance with the forecasts of the Institute of Meteorology, in order to protect people without affecting the necessary reserves of the liquid.
The head of the Education subgroup, Mercedes Escuredo Olazábal said that the technological means of the 69 schools located in low-lying areas were put in good protection, as well as the resources of other educational institutions and the Culture and Sports systems.
Similarly, they guarantee care for the 289 foreign students from the Carlos J. Finlay University of Medical Sciences and the 40 from the Ignacio Agramonte Loynaz University of Camagüey.
The forces and means are ready for the immediate restoration of possible damage to the electrical and telecommunications networks, as well as for the repair of any breakdown in the central railway line, with the guarantee of a train of materials.
The authorities of the Provincial Defense Council permanently check with all municipalities, by videoconference and in tours of the territories, compliance with the measures, with emphasis on the protection of the population.
- Translated by Linet Acuña Quilez