At least 3 people have died and thousands have been displaced after heavy rainfall caused flash flooding and damage in Cuba.

Flood rescue in Cuba, June 2022. Photo: Government of Cuba

Cuba Civil Defence reported two fatalities in the province of Havana, as of 03 June 2022. Another fatality was reported in the province of Pinar del Río, where one person was also missing.

Cuba’s Institute of Meteorology (INSMET) said that in a 30 hour period from 02 June to 03 June, Paso Real de San Diego in Pinar del Río province recorded 301 mm of rain. San Juan y Martinez, Pinar del Río Province recorded 279 mm; Playa Giron in Matanzas 193 mm; and Santiago de las Vegas in Havana 171 mm during the same period. Heavy rain will continue in the west and centre of the country on 04 June, INSMET said.

Flooding was reported in several parts of the country including the provinces of Havana, Pinar del Río, Artemisa, Sancti Spíritus and Matanzas and also the island municipality of Isla de la Juventud. Cuba news agency ACN reported severe flooding and weather-related damage in Havana. Sixty homes were damaged, and 2,300 people evacuated. As many as 4,480 people were displaced in Pinar del Río province, the Cuban government said. Power supply was interrupted to thousands of homes in Havana, Pinar del Rio and Mayabeque Provinces.

The rain was brought by an area of low pressure associated with the remnants of Hurricane Agatha which had caused severe flooding and landslides in Oaxaca state in Mexico earlier this week.

The National Hurricane Center in the USA said the area of low pressure, referred to as “Potential Tropical Cyclone One”, could bring heavy rain and flash flooding to parts of Florida and the Bahamas.