The Atlantic Basin Hurricane Season begins today, 1 June. This year, the above-average hurricane activity that began in 1995 is expected to continue in the region. The last hurricane to hit the Dominican Republic was Georges in 1998, which primarily affected the southeast of the country.
Meanwhile, the Dominican Meteorology Office told the Listin Diario that the season has started without the government having ordered the repair of the department?s radar. Weather forecaster Pedro Garcia Marion told the newspaper that the repair costs US$60,000.
El Caribe newspaper focuses today the city of Santo Domingo?s vulnerability to disasters such as flooding caused by major rainstorms. The newspaper issues an alert that we learn from the lessons of Jimani and its official death toll of 410 plus another 300 missing. El Caribe writes about several areas adjacent to rivers in the city, where people have built in areas that would certainly be flooded in the event of extraordinary rainstorms. Among the areas identified as dangerous in the city of Santo Domingo was that which lies beside the Isabela River, and others such as Sabana Perdida, Los Alcarrizos and Herrera, where smaller rivers could cause flooding.
For an overview of hurricanes in the Dominican Republic, see:
http://www.dr1.com/weather/hurricanes.shtml