Weather update: COE places Santo Domingo and National District on Red Alert

Santo Domingo.- The Emergency Operations Center placed Santo Domingo province and the National District on red alert, while maintaining 21 provinces on yellow alert and five on green alert, due to ongoing weather conditions that favor continued rainfall and increasing soil saturation, according to reports from Dominican Institute of Meteorology and National Institute of Hydraulic Resources.

Under red alert are Santo Domingo and the National District. Provinces on yellow alert include Puerto Plata, Santiago, San Cristóbal, La Vega, La Altagracia, San Pedro de Macorís, Samaná, Duarte (especially Bajo Yuna), and others, while San Juan, Dajabón, Elías Piña, Independencia, and Bahoruco remain on green alert.

Authorities urged residents to avoid crossing rivers, streams, and ravines with high water levels and to stay away from swimming areas in affected provinces. Meanwhile, INDOMET warned that small and medium-sized vessels should navigate with extreme caution near the coast and avoid venturing offshore due to strong winds, abnormal waves, reduced visibility, thunderstorms, and possible waterspouts.