Two dead, one missing, 13,110 evacuated, 97 communities cut off

Santo Domingo.- Two dead, one missing, 13,110 evacuated, 97 communities cut off and 868 homes damaged, left the rains from Tropical Storm Isaac throughout the Dominican Republic, the Emergency Operations Center (COE) reported Sunday night.

The dead are former Villa Altagracia mayor Pedro Peralta, and Wester Alcántara Aristides, who were swept by the swelled rivers Yaguaza and Haina, in circumstances still being investigated.

COE director Juan Manuel Mendez said the storm’s rains didn’t cause the deaths directly, and instead blamed the people’s carelessness for trying to cross rivers during rising water.

Although the official didn’t identify the missing person, he said it’s the brother of a colonel who jumped into the river from the bridge at Los Pilones in Azua yesterday afternoon and his body has yet to be found.

The communities affected by the flooding of rivers and streams are in Ramírez Sánchez, Samaná, Pedernales, Monte Plata, Barahona, San José de Ocoa, San Cristóbal, San Pedro de Macoris, San Juan de la Maguana, Azua, Duarte, Monsignor Nouel, Independence, Peravia, Santo Domingo provinces and the National District.