Cuba's Deputy Prime Minister, Inés María Chapman, described the meteorological conditions that led to severe flooding in San Antonio del Sur during Hurricane Oscar as unprecedented. Speaking to the national media, Chapman provided a detailed account of the events but conspicuously avoided mentioning the status of local reservoirs, a topic that has sparked significant discussion on social media. She also did not address why residents in the area were not alerted to the impending danger, a point of contention for many affected individuals.
“The hurricane stalled for over 24 hours, practically hovering between Imías and San Antonio del Sur. We are in a low-lying area surrounded by mountains, which contributes to the water volume from mountain runoff, combined with the rainfall, causing the river to swell,” the Cuban official explained.
Chapman noted, "Over 500 millimeters fell in a short period. It was an exceptionally intense rainfall. This had never happened before; such heavy rain was unprecedented." She recalled that in previous years, there had been "a minor flood, without reaching the town, with less than 300 millimeters."
However, she emphasized that this time, the rainfall exceeded 500 millimeters, reaching nearly 600 in some places. “Since it occurred practically at dawn, the water volume increased. The river also rose. Remember, the sea level rises at night, in the early morning. This rise creates a barrier, a blockage. The river tries to flow out but can't, so it backs up. The lowest point is San Antonio,” she concluded.
Public Skepticism and Criticism
Despite the meteorological logic of Chapman's explanation, several online commentators remained unconvinced, questioning why Civil Defense didn't anticipate the scale of the impending threat.
Activist Félix Llerena sardonically remarked, “Give her the power and see how it goes.” Another outraged Cuban commented, “All the 'big-bellied chiefs' went there first and didn’t even think to bring drinking water for those people struggling for days. First came the photo ops, and maybe aid later.”
Another individual cited Rubiera, who had warned, “The worst part would be the rain and landslides.” Further disapproval was voiced with comments like, “What sets humans apart from animals is the ability to foresee. Stop making excuses; they left them alone,” and, “What happened in eastern Cuba has one name: Neglect. They abandoned those people to their fate.”
Power Outages and Priorities
Some pointed out that with the hurricane hitting amid a massive blackout, the government's priority seemed to be “fixing the electrical problem in Havana” to prevent protests from capital residents. One infuriated Cuban concluded, “Those people died because none of you bothered to warn about the cyclone. Besides being inept, you are murderers. History will not forgive you, nor will the people.”