Residents of the Dominican Republic should take precautions now, as meteorologists say Category 4 Hurricane Frances is making its way towards the North Coast, and could still affect the area with intense winds and rains.
The Miami hurricane center says that Frances is moving toward the west near 24 km/hr, and a gradual turn towards the west-northwest is expected during the next 24 hours. On that track, the core of the hurricane would apss to the north of the US Virgin Islands today. However, the NHC alerts about the effects of the outer bands of the storm.
While the hurricane is not projected to make land in the Dominican Republic, the National Weather Office issued warnings along the diagonal from the East Coast point of Cabo Engano to Manzanillo in the northwest. The head of the National Emergency Commission, retired Admiral Radhames Lora Salcedo, urged everyone to monitor the storm closely as it approaches the Dominican Republic. Hurricanes frequently change direction. To follow the hurricane, see the thread on the storm at:
http://dr1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34105