Havana, Cuba.- Cuban authorities assessed the damages caused by the rains associated with subtropical storm Alberto in Pinar del Rio, the country”s westernmost province.

The second secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, traveled yesterday to that territory, where he was informed about the measures taken to protect the population, crops and material goods.

According to a television report, the floodwater of the Cuyaguateje River interrupted the road between the town of Isabel Rubio and Guane municipality, and the people living near the river was moved to higher grounds.

More than 400 people have been evacuated in family homes in Guane, and more than 100 in the municipality of San Juan y Martinez, the Civil Defense reported.

‘Taking into account the characteristics of this hydro-meteorological event and the increase in rainfalls, as well as the current hydrological situation, the Civil Defense has reminded governing bodies, state bodies, economic and social institutions and the territories to comply with the measures issued in their respective disaster risk reduction plans,’ the report stated.

The population was also urged to pay attention to the information from the Institute of Meteorology and the Civil Defense, as well as to comply with the measures taken by local authorities.