Greater Santo Domingo and Punta Cana resorts (the major Dominican tourism destination) are quickly spring back after two days of anxiety, rain and wind gusts brought by the passing of Hurricane Maria. The storm itself caused minor damages, but the wide-spreading rain and wind bands of Hurricane María resulted in flooding, toppled trees and line post damages in many locations nationwide.
Spokesman for the President, Roberto Rodríguez Marchena announced that government services that had been suspended on Thursday, 21 September 2017, were all reinstated on Friday, 22 September. Nevertheless, Minister of Education Andres Navarro maintained the shutdown on all schools nationwide until Monday, 25 September. The government and the Dominican people were praised by the media for preventive efforts to mitigate damages before the hurricane hit and collective clean up efforts after.
In a press conference at 6pm on Thursday, 21 September 2017, with the eye of Hurricane Maria well past the Dominican Republic, COE director, General Juan Manuel Méndez García, and Onamet forecaster Francisco Holguin, together with Colonel Puro de la Cruz for the Civil Defense announced that 24 provinces continued under red alert for the storm. They reported that 16,000 persons had been relocated to homes of friends or relatives or to state shelters.
Red alert was maintained for Greater Santo Domingo, La Altagracia, El Seibo, Hato Mayor, Samaná, Espaillat (Moca), María Trinidad Sánchez (Nagua), Puerto Plata, Santiago, Sánchez Ramírez (Cotuí), Santiago Rodríguez, San Pedro de Macorís, La Vega and Monseñor Nouel (Bonao), La Romana, Montecristi, Monte Plata, San Cristóbal, San Juan de la Maguana, Valverde, Dajabón, Azua, San José de Ocoa and Hermanas Mirabal (Salcedo). Yellow alert is still in effect for Peravia (Baní), Independencia, Elías Piña, Bahoruco, Pedernales and Barahona.
General Méndez said that nationwide 2,991 dwellings had been affected, and 15 were destroyed. He said that 7,383 persons were staying with friends and family, while 9,344 were staying at state shelters.
Some 25 communities have lost communication by road and 40 aqueducts are affected.
Francisco Holguin of the Weather Service (Onamet) said that the rains continued all throughout Thursday evening, becoming intense in the Central Mountain Range, the Cibao Valley, the northwest, east, Greater Santo Domingo and areas in the south.
Minister of Public Works Gonzalo Castillo reported that 5,000 men and more than 1,300 vehicles and equipment have been sent out to clear roads in the country.
See
Ministry of Public Works Twitter account
22 September 2017
