Eastern Cuba drying out after heavy rains

CNN
October 31, 2001

Eastern Cuba drying out after heavy rains

                HAVANA, Cuba (AP) -- Eastern Cuba was drying out Wednesday after heavy
                 rains earlier in the week caused a river to overflow, briefly forcing several
                 thousand people from their homes, state media said.

There were no reports of injuries or deaths.

                 The Sagua River in Sagua de Tanamo in the eastern state of Holguin, overflowed
                 overnight Monday and caused the evacuation of more than 3,000 people, state
                 television said. Sagua de Tanamo is in a remote area in the easternmost part of the
                 Caribbean island.

                 Of those evacuated, about 950 people were housed temporarily in government
                 shelters, according to the government broadcast late Tuesday. About 400 homes
                 were flooded, it added.

                 A woman who answered the telephone at the provincial newspaper Ahora on
                 Wednesday said the rains had stopped and many of the evacuees were returning
                 home.