More rain coming as flooding ruins hundreds of plantations

Santo Domingo.- Heavy rains over the LowerYuna river basin of Duarte province have ruined around 650 hectares of rice,over 300 of plantain, in addition to crops of cassava and sweet potatoes,according to a preliminary report from the Regional Agriculture Directorate.

Damages were also reported in plantations of eddoes,yams, papayas, pineapples and of various vegetables.

Meanwhile the Emergency Operations Center (COE)said 2,970 people remain displaced due to the rainfall over the northern provincesof Puerto Plata, Espaillat, Maria Trinidad Sánchez, Motecristi and Duarte.

The COE adds that eight provinces are stillunder a flash flooding alert.

More rain

The National Weather Office forecasts increasedpossibility of downpours over the northern and eastern the provinces, from atrough over eastern Cuba, moving southeast.