Tropical cyclones frequently hit the Cuban archipelago from June to November (hurricane season in this Caribbean area). These weather phenomena have serious effects on the environment since they affect ecosystems, generate the loss of land for agricultural use and worsen health problems; in addition to severe damages to agriculture, housing and the forest reserve, significantly affecting the country's economy.
It is necessary to prepare the people to face damages caused by hurricanes, said Ángel Peralta Herrera, head of the Civil Defense in the Military Sector of San Antonio de los Baños. It is important to comply with the guidelines during the information, warning and alarm phases, with the aim of implementing measures to protect people’s lives and property.
Among the practical actions we must undertake to reduce vulnerability, given the consequences of these weather phenomena, we find: the systematic pruning of trees that affect electricity networks or are close to houses or work centers. In every entity, the disaster reduction plans and the warning plan must be updated to face these situations, which were checked during the Meteoro 2018 Exercise.
Peralta Herrera pointed out that the cleaning of roofs, balconies, streets and sewers makes it possible to avoid flooding in some low-lying área of the town. It is also necessary to know about the places where families will be evacuated, and to secure their doors, windows and tanks. It is very important to increase risk awareness among the population and comply with measures, in a disciplined way, to avoid the loss of life, he added.