Meteoro 2016: Cuba Better Prepared to Cope with Disasters

The nationwide drills aimed at preparing the Island in case of disasters, held last weekend was a success, according to officials

The exercise is designed to reduce risks arising from any hydro-meteorological events, earthquakes, tsunamis, spills of hazardous substances and epidemics, and it is held every year, before the beginning of the hurricane season (June 1, November 30).

Cuba is now better able to cope with adverse weather conditions, said the Army Corps General Ramón Espinosa Martín, deputy minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces in the eastern province of Holguin.

In these 30 years of the Meteoro, the Cuban people have acquired knowledge and awareness of how to deal with the presence of meteorological phenomena, added to the experience
acquired during the occurrence of such phenomena in the last three decades on the island, said General.

During the first years we were not speaking of quakes as we do now, but they are actually a danger, especially in the eastern part of Cuba, he said.

Hundreds of drills were carried out throughout the country to test the preparedness to act in case of different kinds of events, like what to do in case of floods, quakes, industrial accidents, plane crash, and others.