Government maintains its measures; Melissa is almost a hurricane

The rains from Hurricane Melissa, which could become a hurricane in the coming days, will continue into the weekend, with greater intensity over the southern coast, the province of Barahona, and nearby areas. President Luis Abinader has ordered the closure of work in the 12 provinces on alert to prevent loss of life and damage to property.

The president spoke at the National Palace alongside Vice President Raquel Peña, following another meeting to follow up on Hurricane Melissa and the preventive measures to preserve lives and maintain the safety of the population, which will be reviewed today, Saturday, at 9:00 a.m. by the director of the Emergency Operations Center (COE), Juan Manuel Méndez, and Government relief agencies.

“It continues to rain in a large part of the country,” said President Abinader, noting that “we are facing one of the storms, according to experts and analysts, that has been affecting the country for the longest period of time.”

He affirmed that all state institutions are working to protect the danger zones and ensure the country can return to normal as soon as possible.

Rain will continue

Rain is expected to continue today in Greater Santo Domingo, moving south/southwestward over the next two days and potentially extending into next week.

Gloria Ceballos, director of the Dominican Institute of Meteorology (Indomet), explained that storm Melissa was moving north last night and could turn west, approaching the Haitian peninsula, so its cloud cover could move closer to the country’s southern coast.

They warn against crossing rivers, streams, and gullies with high water levels, against using bathing facilities due to the turbidity and volume of water they still hold, and, if necessary, to go to the shelters they have prepared. These include two in the province of San Juan, one in San Cristóbal, and another in the National District, where 61 people were sheltered yesterday.

Working day

Although work hours in most public and private companies will remain suspended, essential services, such as pharmacies, supermarkets, fuel sales, and transportation, will continue to operate to facilitate access to perishable food, medicines, and commercial banks.

There are 26 provinces on alert: 12 in red, 11 in yellow, and three in green due to anticipated damage.