Tornado damage in SPM

DrChrisHE

On Probation!
Jul 23, 2006
599
0
0
THIS IS REALLY AMAZING and I didn't know what had specifically caused it until I returned home from the clinic....Today I was driving out to NPH (with DR1's BrsBroarders) and we saw a whole cement utility poles snapped in half like toothpicks. Then there were at least a half dozen completely knocked down with broken trees tangled in the wires and then an emormous ?permanent? billboard with heavy metal structure knocked completely over. Several stone walls appeared to have been tossed around as well as several wooden with zinc roof structures. This is between the ?Cruz Peligroso? and the turn to go to Ramon Santana (going around SPM city towards La Romana on the highway.)

Yesterday, a typical summer-style storm seemed to come upon Juan Dolio VERY rapidly. We saw the clouds rush in. I went and brought laundry in and then the wind hit us seemingly out of no where. I've been in tornado zones but it was SO out of context for here that I didn't even consider it...actually was thinking more along the lines of a TS or hurricane. We had a serious amount of rain (don't have our rain meter back up yet) and more wind than I think we had all winter put together but Ramon Santana REALLY seemed to get slammed badly.

The orphanage (NPH) wasn't hit but the road leading up to the turn off was. This is typical for tornados where it seems to hit one block and leaves another untouched. The area that it hit was not heavily populated. I didn't see signs that houses were damaged but by this afternoon there were people surveying the work shelters/sheds and power lines that were down.

'Hope no one was hurt there and that life can return to "normal" as soon as possible for those impacted.
paz y salud,
DrChrisHE
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
982
113
When I read that San Pedro was affected I thought it was a mistake, and that they meant to say San Francisco, because it was all happening in the north yesterday. Scary stuff!
Did you get any photos?
 

DrChrisHE

On Probation!
Jul 23, 2006
599
0
0
No pix YET

When I read that San Pedro was affected I thought it was a mistake, and that they meant to say San Francisco, because it was all happening in the north yesterday. Scary stuff!
Did you get any photos?

No mistake! I didn't have my camera when I was passing the utility polls but I'm sure they'll still be down on Wednesday;) much to the chagrin of the residents, so I'll take some then. The number of large trees and fences uprooted was shocking (only in a strip like a huge bulldozer came along and had its way with that part of the land.) I almost ALWAYS have my camera and today I needed it several times, but didn't have it!

Now as much of a photo hound as I am, I'm not sure if taking photos would have been my first thought if I had been IN the tornado zone and knew about it. We shrugged it off as "No big deal--'guess summer is coming early this year." However, our guest (my intern at NPH) noticed how windy and dark it was becoming quite suddenly. He only arrived in January and hasn't been here through a summer storm.