T. S. Chantal weakens nearing landfall at Hispaniola

Santo Domingo.- Tropical Storm Chantal, whose downpours have begun to subside over most of the country late Wednesday afternoon, has become less organized as it neared the south coast of Hispaniola, shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said as of 2PM EDT, T. S. Chantal was located at 16.5°N 73.0°W, moving west at 29 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. “A U.S. Air Force Hurricane Hunger plane is working hard to find a center.”

The storm has already claimed one life and considerable damage to agriculture is expected from its downpours throughout Wednesday.