Tropical Storm Laura causes heavy rains throughout the Dominican Republic

The center of the storm made landfall in the Dominican Republic at the province of San Pedro de Macorís, in the east of the country.

Santo Domingo, DR.

Tropical storm Laura reached the Dominican Republic on Saturday night, after hitting Puerto Rico, where it left a large part of the population without electricity, in addition to the floods caused by heavy rains.

The center of the storm touched the Dominican Republic through the province of San Pedro de Macorís, in the east of the country.

Since Saturday afternoon, the effects of the tropical storm were felt with moderate to heavy rains.

The National Hurricane Center issued an alert on the northern coasts of the Dominican Republic from Cabo Engaño on the border with Haiti, the southern shores of the Dominican Republic from Cabo Engaño to Punta Palenque.

Similarly, the northern coast of Haiti from Le Mole St. Nicholas to the border with the Dominican Republic, the southeast of the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Cuban provinces Camaguey, Las Tunas, Holguin, Guantanamo, Santiago de Cuba, and Granma are all also under alert.

He indicated that no tropical cyclone formation is expected during the next five days.

Likewise, due to the accumulated rainfall that could be above 200 millimeters, the National Meteorological Office (Onamet) maintains a meteorological alert and warning against flooding of rivers, streams, and gullies, as well as sudden and gradual floods and landslides in 31 provinces.

While the Emergency Operations Center (COE), put the entire country under alert, increasing to 18 the provinces in red alert, 8 in yellow and 6 in green.

The provinces in red alert are La Altagracia, Samaná, San Pedro de Macoris, Hato Mayor, El Seibo, San José de Ocoa, Santo Domingo, Azua, Barahona, Puerto Plata, Montecristi, Espaillat, María Trinidad Sánchez, San Cristóbal, La Romana , the National District, Monte Plata and Peravia.

On yellow alert are Monsignor Nouel, La Vega, Sánchez Ramírez, Hermanas Mirabal, Duarte, Santiago, San Juan and Bahoruco.

While in green, Independencia, Santiago Rodríguez, Elías Piña, Dajabón, Pedernales and Valverde.

The center of the storm is expected to leave the Dominican Republic this Sunday. However, the rains will continue to affect the national territory.