COE issues red alert for four provinces due to ongoing risk

Rain floods roads and damages homes, crops, and public works. Franklin Santana.

Heavy rains in recent days and those that will continue in Monseñor Nouel, San Cristóbal, Santo Domingo, and the National District prompted the Emergency Operations Center (COE) to issue a red alert for those provinces, fearing that rivers, streams, and ravines will overflow and cause flooding.

The agency also issued a yellow alert for Montecristi, Valverde, Santiago, La Vega, Duarte, Sánchez Ramírez, María Trinidad Sánchez, San José de Ocoa, Monte Plata, and the province of Hato Mayor.

Elías Piña, San Juan, Peravia, Samaná, San Pedro de Macorís, La Romana, El Seibo, and La Altagracia are under a green alert.

The rains will continue.

For its part, the Dominican Institute of Meteorology (Indomet) forecast that the rains will continue throughout the weekend, accompanied by thunderstorms and gusts of wind, due to the influence of a trough affecting the national territory.

According to the agency, showers will start in the morning in María Trinidad Sánchez, Duarte, Samaná, Espaillat, Hato Mayor, El Seibo, and Monte Plata.

In the afternoon and evening, rainfall will spread to Hato Mayor, El Seibo, Monte Plata, San Pedro de Macorís, San Cristóbal, San José de Ocoa, Monseñor Nouel, La Vega, San Juan, Elías Piña, Santo Domingo, and the National District.

The Meteorological Office reported that temperatures will be low at night and in the early hours of the morning, especially in mountainous areas and valleys throughout the country.

The minimum temperature will be between 21°C and 23°C and the maximum between 31°C and 33°C.

Abnormal waves on the coast

Due to abnormal waves along the coast, Indomet recommends that operators of fragile, small, and medium-sized vessels navigate cautiously and close to the coastal perimeter.

Extended forecast

On Sunday, the Meteorological Service forecasts that, although the trough will not directly impact, there will be local showers from midday, especially in the southeastern and northeastern provinces, the Central Mountain Range, and the border area.

From the afternoon and early evening, the rains will affect La Altagracia, El Sebo, Hato Mayor, María Trinidad Sánchez, Monte Plata, Monseñor Nouel, La Vega, San Juan, Elías Piña, San José de Ocoa, Santo Domingo, and the National District.

ADN activates prevention

The National District City Council (ADN) reported that it is keeping the Disaster Prevention, Mitigation, and Response Committee in permanent session due to a trough affecting several parts of the country, prompting a red alert for the capital.

Mayor Carolina Mejía said the measure seeks to provide an immediate response to any situation that may arise due to the heavy rains that have hit the National District in recent hours and those that are forecast.

She said that the mayor’s office’s operational brigades, including personnel, equipment, vacuum trucks, and other vehicles, have been cleaning drains, scuppers, and gutters at critical points in the capital.

Prevention in prisons

The Prison Services Directorate reported that it has also activated its emergency plan to protect prisoners and prison staff.