HAVANA (WSVN) - Widespread flooding has forced thousands of evacuations and rescues in Cuba.

Heavy rain in the central and eastern portions of the country caused water to rise this weekend.

According to reports on the island, more than 7,000 people have had to leave their homes after they were damaged or destroyed. Many have also lost their crops.

Rescuers rushed families on to their planes to fly them to safety.

Men, women and children have been taken to state shelters or homes of relatives after waiting in their flooded neighborhoods for help to arrive.

“They came to our rescue early, and we didn’t want to go out, but we had to go out now.” said a man through a translator.

In some areas, roads and bridges collapsed under the weight of the floodwaters.

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