Tornado or whirlwind? The explanation behind the phenomenon that caused damage in Constanza

The phenomenon that formed this Thursday in Constanza, La Vega, was not a tornado: it was a dust devil, caused by the intense afternoon heat and the influence of a trough in the northern Caribbean.

This was revealed by meteorological analyst Jean Suriel, who explained that “these whirlwinds form from the ground upwards: in the images captured from the scene, you can see how the gusts lift the roofs of houses and greenhouses.”

“The phenomenon is also known as a dust devil, which is short-lived and not associated with a funnel cloud: it lifts large amounts of dust, sand, or soil from the ground, forming a rotating column,” he added.

Suriel specified that this is not the first time this phenomenon has occurred in the Dominican Republic: the most documented case occurred on July 4, 2023, in San Antonio de Guerra, Santo Domingo.

According to residents of the area, who indicated on social media that the phenomenon caused damage to several homes and affected crops.

“Holy God!”, “Blessed be Jesus!”, “Merciful Father, have mercy, Heavenly Father, look upon each of your children,” were some of the expressions of the passersby.

So far, the authorities have not offered details specifying the damage caused.