Santo Domingo.- The executive director of Civil Defense, Juan Salas, convened with the provincial directors of the protection institution after meeting with President Luis Abinader at the National Palace. This meeting aimed to activate necessary protocols and preventive measures in anticipation of Hurricane Beryl potentially impacting the Dominican Republic.
In a press release, the president of the National Emergency Commission (CNE) emphasized that the “orange heroes” are preparing for the worst-case scenario, prioritizing the protection of lives and property should the hurricane affect the nation. “As directed by President Abinader, we are committed to acting early to safeguard lives. Beryl is a powerful hurricane, and its effects could be felt across much of the national territory; this is why we must act in a coordinated manner with local governments and other emergency response institutions,” stated Juan Salas.
Salas urged provincial directors to coordinate with governors and mayors to activate provincial and municipal Disaster Prevention, Mitigation, and Response Committees (PMR). He explained that Civil Defense, in collaboration with other National System for Prevention, Mitigation, and Response to Disasters organizations, is implementing preventive measures such as rural area alerting, tree pruning, ravine and culvert cleaning, and power line verification with electricity distribution companies.
The Civil Defense has georeferenced potential shelters nationwide, accessible by scanning the QR code on their website, www.defensacivil.gob.do, and social media. For guidance, the public can also call 809-472-8617.