At least 19 dead in floods in the Dominican Republic and Haiti
Heavy rain and flooding in The Dominican Republic and Haiti have killed 19 people and displaced thousands since last week, according to a new toll issued Thursday by official sources and The Red Cross.
A previous report indicated seven deaths in the Dominican Republic.
The Haiti Civil Protection Agency also reported 12 deaths in several provinces.
Thunderstorms
Heavy rains accompanied by thunderstorms began on the night of April 7 and continued for more than a week.
In the Dominican Republic, authorities are keeping 24 out of 31 provinces are on preventive alert, despite the decrease in rain intensity in recent hours.
Civil Defense Director Juan Salas told AFP "Five bodies were recovered"while two other people died last week.
The Emergency Operations Center also indicated the displacement and evacuation of at least 30,500 people in the Caribbean country.
About 6,500 homes were damaged, and 38 villages were isolated.
School Closure
Heavy rain led to the closure of schools and a reduction in working hours last week, in addition to a power outage in The capital, Santo Domingo.
The rains affect the entire island of Hispaniola, which the Dominican Republic shares with Haiti, and the Dominican Meteorological Institute expects more rain and hail in the coming days.
Salas explained that "Civil Defense maintains the highest level of alert. Forecasts indicate that during the weekend we may face more heavy rains that will affect a large part of the country".
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