Today and tomorrow Meteoro 2023 Popular Exercise.

The Meteoro 2023 Popular Exercise will take place today May 20th and tomorrow May 21st in the province of Matanzas, with the aim of reducing the risk of disasters caused by tropical cyclones and other natural, technological and health hazards.

Under the slogan «The art of saving is in foreseeing», the main actions aimed at strengthening capacities and responses in the traditional manoeuvre will be carried out.

Lieutenant Colonel William González Hernández, head of the Civil Defence of the Matanzas Military Region, informed that during the popular exercise, the decisions approved by the President of the National Defence Council to reduce the risks of disasters in the Republic of Cuba will be clarified and updated.

He said that the experiences derived from real events that have occurred in recent years, such as hurricanes Irma and Ian, the explosion at the Saratoga hotel, the fire at the Supertanker Base, the drought and forest fires, will be taken into account.

He said that among the purposes are to increase the preparedness of the forces that will participate in the response and recovery phases of these phenomena, according to the established plans, as well as to check the effectiveness and level of assurance to ensure information and guidance to workers and the population in disaster situations.

Today, in the first phase of the Meteoro, the management bodies will work on the specification and assurance of the decisions and plans for disaster risk reduction, in the preparation of the forces and means that will intervene in the response and recovery after the occurrence of any extreme hydrometeorological phenomenon, earthquake, oil spill, explosion and/or large-scale fires, drought or others of sanitary origin.

The second phase includes the preparation of the different categories of personnel for the aforementioned situations, and the implementation of practices aimed at reducing the vulnerabilities identified, paying special attention to the protection of the population and its resources.

With the participation of renowned specialists, the Round Table on 19 May discussed the particularities of the cyclonic season and the Meteor.

The cyclonic season begins on the first of June and lasts until 30 November, during which it is essential that Disaster Risk Reduction plans are complied with in detail.

Written by Eva Luna Acosta Arminán.