Havana, June 56(RHC)-- Cuban President Miguel Diaz Canel said Sunday that the recovery of families' homes affected by the heavy rains of recent days in the west and center of the country must be a priority.

At a meeting at the headquarters of the Civil Defense General Staff, Diaz-Canel said that in the case of Havana, it is necessary to work on the restoration of collapsed bridges and implement measures to prevent further flooding.

According to participants, the principal damages are in housing, agriculture, and electric services.

In agriculture, 3,200 hectares were affected, including 337 tons of tobacco, of which 27 were lost. Work is being done to treat 310 tons to avoid excess moisture.

The Minister of Construction, Rene Mesa Villafaña, informed that 750 houses had been affected up to Saturday night, 21 total collapses, 162 partial collapses, 36 lost their roofs, and 221 reported the partial loss of roofs. The resources to repair these damages have been secured, he said.

For his part, the Minister of Energy and Mines, Liván Arronte, said that of the 158,000 consumers without electricity due to the rain, by Sunday, there were only about 4,500 without access to the service.

The President of the Water Resources Institute, Antonio Rodriguez, said that the heavy rains in the west and center of the country were beneficial for the reservoirs and river basins since most of them were depressed due to the prolonged drought.