Heavy rains in municipalities in Villa Clara force more than 1,000 people to evacuate

More than 1,000 residents in the municipalities of Sagua la Grande and Cifuentes in Villa Clara had to be evacuated—mostly to the homes of friends or family members—on Saturday due to heavy rainfall that began in the early hours of the morning and caused flooding and damage to homes, as well as leaving communities cut off. In Sagua la Grande alone, 689 residents had to seek refuge in the homes of relatives and friends, while 17 found shelter in evacuation centers, according to the latest information published by the provincial government on its official Facebook page, “Soy Villa Clara.” There, the basement of the Mártires del 9 de Abril Hospital was flooded, and drainage work continued early Sunday morning. In Cifuentes, another 200 residents also had to move to the homes of relatives for protection.