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The civil protection authorities of Praia warned today of the possibility of formation, in the next few hours, of a tropical depression near the Cape Verdean archipelago, with the possibility of very heavy rains.
At a press conference held today, even as a result of the heavy rains on Saturday, which caused destruction, flooding, flooding and the death of a six-month-old baby in the Cape Verdean capital, the Praia Municipal Firefighters commander, Celestino Afonso, appealed to the state of “alert” of the population.
According to the official, there are “signs of formation in the next few hours” of a new tropical depression near the archipelago, with the possibility of repetition of new heavy rains, according to information from international centers.
“Don’t try to stay home when the floods hit you, to save your property. Life is above all material good, ”Celestino Afonso appealed, also asking the population to ensure the cleaning of the canals and drainage channels.
One of the biggest problems, according to the authorities, is informal construction, in full flood, so the attractiveness of firefighters, with the approach of a new storm, is clear: “Leaving their houses immediately when they find that there is no control, when they are hit by floods ”.
The appeal made by the commander of the Praia Municipal Fire Brigade also goes in the direction of guaranteeing right now the request of the populations in areas at risk of relocation “in safer places until better solutions are found.”
Road cleaning
Celestino Afonso guaranteed that works are being carried out to clean the public highway and recover the damage caused by the last rains, which arose after practically three years of drought throughout the archipelago.
More than 150 residents of the neighborhoods of the city of Praia affected by the floods and runoff caused by the heavy rains on Saturday had to be displaced and relocated to the National Stadium, the chamber of the Cape Verdean capital reported today.
“Today, more than 150 people are already housed in the National Stadium and totally depend on the solidarity of all,” acknowledged the municipality, which coordinates the campaign to collect support for these families, in a note to which Lusa had access.
Official data indicate that the scenario experienced during the early hours of Saturday in Praia resulted from heavy rains that exceeded the annual average for the last 30 years in the capital.
The municipality of Praia warned, however, that the weather forecasts for next weekend show “a trend towards tropical rain in the vicinity of the country,” and are raising awareness among the population about the care and protection to take.
Millions for rebuilding
The Cape Verdean government has already estimated that investments of 258 million escudos (2.3 million euros) will be necessary to “return normalcy” to Praia after the consequences of the heavy rains a week ago.
Cape Verde’s Deputy Prime Minister, Olavo Correia, admitted, however, the need to turn to the support of international partners to recover from the destruction caused in Praia by the rains.
On Thursday, in a visit to the neighborhoods of the capital most affected by floods, runoff and destruction by heavy rains, in which a six-month-old baby died, the President of the Republic, Jorge Carlos Fonseca, called for “firmer” measures to stop informal construction on slopes and waterways, along with land use policies.
