In Puerto Plata, Ciénaga and Laguna are still flooded

Puerto Plata—Two weeks after the downpours that have affected this Atlantic region began to fall, dozens of families are still prevented from leaving their homes because they are flooded.

These are residents of the La Ciénaga and La Laguna sectors in the Cabarete tourist district in Sosúa. According to Danny Zarzuela, the mayor of the Fire Department, around 1,300 houses are affected.

He said this situation keeps families on tenterhooks, indicating that “if there are new rains, we fear that something worse will happen.

Zarzuela said that around 4,500 people reside in La Cienega, while in La Laguna, there are more than 300 houses.

He added that Public Works sent a crane on Wednesday to try to drain the waters, but it was in vain because the currents were joined underground.

He quantified that at least 10,000 families are suffering the aftermath of the rains on the coast of Cabarete and that they have received assistance from the GoveGovernmentough the Social Plan of the Presidency, the Civil Aviation Institute (IDAC), and the ministries of the Presidency, Public Health, and Public Works.

The district director, Freddy Cruz, said that he has remained vigilant in the face of the possibility of new rains and that it merits helping vulnerable families in the territories above.

Cruz said that since the beginning of last week, when it began to rain intensely in Cabarete, it was necessary to remove families from their homes and house them in the homes of relatives and friends who reside in safe areas.

The narrow streets of both neighborhoods are flooded by water, so when residents try to leave their homes, they must do so in boats, whose owners do not charge them for the service, in solidarity with the community. He indicated that they only accept a contribution if it comes from someone who wants to do it out of gratitude, explained Angel Luis, one of the young people who provides service to those affected.

For her part, Ramona Francisco, who has lived in La Ciénaga for more than 20 years, said that the floods destroyed her home but that she has survived thanks to the government’s medical aid.

Meanwhile, Manuel Peralta, the head of the family with three minor children, hopes that the ruling party will continue to help him because “it was not easy to spend Christmas Eve with my family, having dinner standing up and with the water up to my waist, because our house is under water.” He lives in the La Laguna neighborhood of Cabarete.

Meanwhile, community member María Hernández showed spiritual faith when talking to journalists about the situation caused by the rain. He considered that in Cabarete, “we must accept what God has sent us through the rains and nature because, in the end, we will connect divine blessings in abundance.”

Other people said they fear the consequences of stagnant water because it could cause illness in residents.