DR: Risk of Flooding Increases Due to Heavy Rains

On Monday, the Dominican Republic's Emergency Operations Centre (COE) warned of an increased risk of flash floods, rising rivers and landslides due to a trough affecting the country.

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Twenty-Seven Dominican Provinces on Alert for Heavy Rains

This weekend's rainfall has so far left 153 houses affected, 14 aqueducts out of service and some 20 communities cut off, while some 700 people are reported to have been displaced to safe places.

The COE reported in its latest bulletin that 14 provinces and the National District are on yellow alert and eight provinces on green alert, due to heavy downpours that will continue this Monday.

The provinces on yellow alert are Santiago, La Vega, Monseñor Nouel, San José de Ocoa, Sánchez Ramírez, Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional, San Cristóbal, Monte Plata, Duarte, Montecristi, Puerto Plata, María Trinidad Sánchez, Hermanas Mirabal and Espaillat.

On green alert are Azúa, Hato Mayor, Santiago Rodríguez, El Seibo, San Juan, Valverde, San Pedro Macorís and Samoa.

Due to deteriorating weather conditions, the COE advised people to refrain from crossing rivers, streams and creeks with high volumes of water in the provinces under alert.

The authorities urged the population to follow the indications of this agency and to be attentive to official communications in order to take the necessary precautionary measures to ensure their safety and that of their families.

They reported that brigades were deployed to evaluate and attend to the damage to road infrastructure, bridges and isolated communities.

Yellow alert indicates that the population should be prepared for the event and go to a safe place in case they are in a risk zone; green means that residents in the danger zone have to be alert to the possible impact of an atmospheric phenomenon.