A fallen tree caused road closures in Caracas. Photo: Twitter/@Nahumjfernandez.
On Thursday, October 7, President Nicolás Maduro reported that over 120 municipalities in Venezuela have been heavily affected due to the passage of Tropical Wave 41 that is causing torrential rain in different parts of the country. He added that the “government is fully activated” to alleviate these effects, and that emergency funds are available for mitigating damages.
The president held a video conference with the governors of all states, mayors of the municipalities, and authorities of the National Risk Management System to assess the situation.
Venezuelan Minister of the Interior and Justice Remigio Ceballos explained that the governors should dispatch equipment and teams to mitigate emergencies in regions where there is greater damage.
“We have planned the emergency response to attend to the situation, and we are ready to reinforce the civil protection personnel to strengthen the process with the fire department for the attention and control of emergencies and the impact of the natural disasters,” Ceballos said.
Authorities in Venezuela Prepared for Impact of Heavy Rains, President Maduro Announces
He added that the tropical system is migrating from Falcón state and part of the Los Andes region.
Effects in Carabobo
The governor of Carabobo state, Rafael Lacava, reported that there was a major landslide on the Puerto Cabello-Valencia highway, in Boca del Lobo area, which leads into the port of Puerto Cabello.
He explained that rocks fell off the mountain on the road, which forced closures on the highway. At this time, it is not possible to remove the debris due to continued heavy rainfall. For the safety of the machinery operators, the clean up has been postponed.
He also talked about flood situations in El Milagro neighborhood and in the municipality of Juan José Mora, especially along the coastline, where the rains were heaviest and continued uninterrupted for almost 12 hours. Authorities remain deployed throughout the area.
Additionally, he commented on damages sustained by the Rolando Carrillo school in Trapichito. Students of that school are being temporarily relocated to other schools.
Caracas: 106 incidents
The mayor of Caracas, Carmen Meléndez, reported that 106 incidents occurred in the city due to the heavy rainfall. Work is being done to clean up the debris resulting from 35 landslides. At least 32 trees fell in the city, damages to electricity services were reported in 21 sectors, two electric poles fell, and sewers collapsed and caused leakage.
“I thank the mayor of Chacao, Gustavo Duque, who collaborated with the city of Caracas to remove the fallen trees and alleviate the impact it had on the road in the neighborhood of El Bosque,” said Maduro.
The president also asked about the situation of an 82-year-old man who was trapped when his house in the San José parish collapsed.
“Mr. Jesús Rivero, 82 years old, has been shifted to the Casanova clinic,” Mayor Meléndez reported. “He lived alone. Tomorrow, we are going to arrange for transportation to take him to a senior residence.”
Similarly, 25 families in La Vega whose houses were completely destroyed are currently being transported to shelters.
“We cannot let the shelters get overcrowded,” said President Maduro. He asked the Minister of Youth and Sports Mervin Maldonado to prioritize these families and arrange for new homes for them, either through the Great Venezuela Housing Mission, Barrio Nuevo Tricolor, or through the Secondary Market “as soon as possible, because this is what the revolution means.”
“The people are not orphans, they have someone to help them and take care of them, whoever wants help,” Maduro emphasized. “The people have a government, a president, governors, and mayors, and people’s power and military power. We must always remain close to the people, especially in the difficult circumstances we are facing due to these rains, caused by the global climate change.”
Aragua: 151 homes affected
The governor of Aragua reported that 151 homes have been damaged, whose families were transferred to hotels.
She reported that the Barbacoas highway was washed away, and that on Friday at 5:00 in the morning, a commission was dispatched with machinery to begin clearing the roads.
Trujillo: 145 people housed in 3 shelters
The governor of the state of Trujillo, Gerardo Márquez, said that his government had deployed 42 machines and 1,000 officials along with the militia to attend to the affected families. Clothes and shoes have been delivered to the three shelters where the 145 affected people are being housed. He reported that the houses of 13 families were completely destroyed.
Miranda: 26 roads damaged
The governor of Miranda state, Héctor Rodríguez, reported that nine landslides occurred in the state. One house was totally destroyed in the landslide, and 26 roads were damaged and 18 trees were uprooted.
In the state, 19 homes were badly affected, of which 5 are completely destroyed, while 13 families lost part of their property.
In 21 municipalities, the rains have subsided, the volume of water in streams and rivers decreased, and teams tasked with dealing with contingencies were deployed.
Falcón: 14 municipalities isolated
The rains have been heaviest in the state of Falcón, where four municipalities are being prioritized due to the flooding of the Coro River, reported Governor Víctor Clark.
In Silva and Chivacoa municipalities, 15 homes were damaged, and 135 families were relocated to shelters. Currently 14 municipalities remain isolated due to road closures caused by fallen boulders and trees.
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/KZ/SC
