The National Meteorological Office reported a low pressure system approaching the Dominican Republic from the Southwest. As a result the rains that have been falling this past week are expected to continue. The NMO also warned of flooding in low-laying areas, especially along the Dominican-Haitian frontier, and asked the population to take the necessary precautions in case of flooding or landslides. The weather people were especially worried about the populations of Elias Pina, Jimani, Tamayo, Oviedo and the other smaller communities in the Southwest.
Some good news was reported. The Luperon Tourist Highway that links Santiago and Puerto Plata was re-opened over the weekend. The Civil Defense spokesperson in Santiago, Francisco Arias, told Diario Libre reporters that the mudslides in the area near the town of Yasica had not damaged any persons or property.
Meanwhile, in Puerto Plata, the authorities are surveying the damage to determine how many people lost their homes during the flooding last week. How newspaper reports that 365 houses are still under water and 15 houses were destroyed in that city. Most of the damage was reported in the barrio “Padre Las Casas” in Puerto Plata.
May and September are traditionally the months when it is most likely to rain in the DR.