Africa-Press – Cape verde. The Minister of Internal Administration announced today in Praia that the areas affected by the rains on the 13th and 14th in northern Santiago recorded rainfall above the average for the island of Santiago and nationally.
Paulo Rocha, providing context for what happened, highlighted that in Santa Catarina, particularly in the areas of João Dias and Mato Baixo, rainfall was around 277 liters of water per square meter, while São Miguel recorded 281 liters per square meter in four locations (Achada Cavalo, Barragem, in the Flamengo area, and Principal).
In the municipality of Tarrafal, the recorded rainfall was between 270 and 281 liters per square meter, with 281 liters per square meter recorded in Mato Mendes and Santa Cruz, in the Cancelo region.
“Normally, a rainfall of 250 mm is considered very heavy or torrential, according to technicians. This, of course, caused a lot of damage to the roads, a rather complex situation, but the Ministry of Infrastructure is already taking the necessary precautions,” he said, considering the situation “somewhat vulnerable” as it could lead to disruptions in traffic between municipalities.
Paulo Rocha also mentioned the damage in the municipality of Tarrafal, in the Praia do Mar area, the access ramp to the fishing pier, the Serra Malagueta descent area, Ribeira Fontão, Cuba, Ribeira das Pratas and Achada Fazenda.
In Santa Catarina and São Miguel, the damage affected, as he said, several roads, with flooding and destruction of infrastructure and sanitation.
“In Santiago Norte, we have agriculture and the livestock sector seriously affected, in addition to urban and national infrastructure and the drip irrigation system. Wells, dikes, and houses have been destroyed,” he said, emphasizing that these rains, besides affecting production, have also affected reservoirs and the irrigation system.
The first strategy to normalize the situation, he stressed, was to clear obstructions to facilitate circulation.
When questioned about the weather forecasts predicting more rain for this weekend, the Minister of Agriculture and Environment, Gilberto Silva, stated that he was aware of the rainfall, but stressed that only later today would he have a “more accurate” forecast for the coming days.
“We are aware of the immediate measures that must be taken in the context of all the mediations that are underway and the preventive measures that make the municipalities more resilient, also underway,” he specified.
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