Tropical Storm Franklin Impacts Dominican Republic

Tropical Storm Franklin crossed the Dominican Republic this Wednesday. Immediately after its passage, the country's authorities have begun to assess the damage caused by the meteorological phenomenon.

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Franklin made landfall in the Dominican Republic near Barahona, close to 8:00 am. Reports from the National Hurricane Center indicated the occurrence of heavy rains throughout the country. The slow passage of the storm caused several floods, as forecasts indicated prior to its arrival.

Today, damage assessments are made through a tour of high authorities and specialists throughout the country. So far, damage to agriculture and housing infrastructure has been reported, with heavy flooding that, until the last report, has resulted in two deaths and one disappeared.

The storm exceeded 80 kilometers of maximum sustained winds, which were located to the east of the center of the storm, an area of winds that projected the most powerful gusts towards the island of Hispaniola.

The tweet reads, "Rainfall accumulations left over the Dominican Republic by Franklin were extreme. Data and maps show that in the southeast and southwest regions were the heaviest."

The combined effect of these strong winds and flooding has affected more than 670 homes and isolated about 24 towns due to overflowing water channels.

In anticipation of these effects, almost 4,000 people living in areas vulnerable to flooding and isolation had been evacuated prior to the passage of Franklin. Other 352 people evacuated themselves in shelters and refuges prepared by the authorities for civil defense.

The storm weakened as it crossed the mountainous geography of Hispaniola, leaving the Atlantic Ocean early this morning in the direction of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The tweet reads, "This is what tropical storm Franklin looks like after passing through the Dominican Republic. It currently has sustained winds of 60 mph and a pressure of 998 mb."

It is expected to become a hurricane over the next few days as it moves northeast at 7 mph so it is no longer a threat to the Caribbean.

The Dominican Republic's electrical infrastructure suffered considerable damage, leaving thousands of consumers without electricity. This also affected water pumping, leaving more than 1.5 million people without this precious resource, due to the paralysis of 120 aqueducts.

Today, all services and productions that were not damaged by the storm have returned to normal. Schools, markets and all types of state and private institutions have reopened.

According to the latest report from the National Hurricane Center, Franklin was 145 kilometers east-northeast of Grand Turk Island, with maximum sustained winds of 95 km/h and a northward displacement of 11 km/h.

This tropical storm will find in the next few days warm waters in the ocean that will allow it to become a hurricane.