Heavy rains cause flooding and damage in Barahona

Barahona.- Barahona experienced severe flooding on Sunday as heavy rains turned streets into rivers, overflowed ravines, and caused landslides in the El Derrumbao area, leaving several resorts damaged by mud, water, and debris.

According to the National Meteorology Institute, the torrential downpours began early Sunday due to an upper-level trough combined with the passage of a tropical wave. In Villa Central—where a new maternal and child hospital is under construction—rainwater flowed more heavily than some rivers during storm season.

The most affected areas included Villa Central, El Derrumbao, Villa Mirian beach, the boardwalk, the city market, and the neighborhoods of La Playa and Villa Estela. The city government and Fire Department worked together to alleviate flooding on key streets. At the Lisandra Aponte School, a wall collapsed, prompting emergency teams to evacuate several families from high-risk zones.

Authorities noted that the soil in Barahona was already saturated from the recent rains brought by Hurricane Melissa, which had drenched parts of the Dominican Republic before moving toward Jamaica as a Category 5 storm.