A lot of the damage in post #626 is the indirect result of poor or primitive construction techniques and lack of Hurricane tie-downs on roof rafters, etc. Note that the concrete block walls were left standing, but the roofs gone as there was nothing to hold them in place. Code in the hurricane-prone areas of the U.S. now require the use of hurricane tie-downs for roofing structures. Flood damage, as always, is bad, but due to improper grading of the roadways and drainage systems being clogged or non-existent. The Dominican Republic would be subject to the same kind of damages if struck by a storm the magnitude of Joaquin.
i would guess even the best city drainages will not keep up with anything of a flooding due a moister cat4 cyclone like Joaquin,
dumping what, 1-2ft? of water within some very few hours?
and thats just the central bahamas, very tiny populated islands, where no billions are at hand for top of the line modern world constructions.
look what the lil Nor'Easter is actually doing along the US-Eastshores, without any hurricane influence.
and thats a area which is built top of the line i guess,
but there are limits for everything, you can not build a whole country/Coastline/all Islands by highest and most expensive standards.
there is always a point when motha nature takes over the control panel, where all best built structures and ingenieuring genieous constructions loose the battle against the one controlling Power, Mom Nature.
as for Joaquin entering the DR from the North to the South and then stalling out/standing still to do slowly a turn back out towards the north,
well,
i don't want to imagine such outcome.
it would sure have become a superdeadly historical desaster,
the DR is not the slightest bit prepared to handle the Hit Nor the aftermath of a full running over land stalled Cat 4 Cyclone, by far not, No Island is, btw, nor would i know about any mainland which would be ready for such.
even the highly organized and equipped USA get's desasterous results and deadrolls on storms much smaller and weaker than this Joaquin, now imagine a country like DR??
on such things everybody can only pray to get lucky and get missed by some miles by that deadly eyewall.
in case of the waterloads, well, they are announceed some hours prior to arrival, the only salvation is to run to higher grounds, in case you live in a low located/vulnerable location for heavy rainloads/mudslides and such.
Mike