SANTO DOMINGO - Torrential rainfall that has lingered over the Dominican Republic for weeks has forced tens of thousands from their homes and left significant damage in its wake, officials said.
Local authorities reported that roughly 30,000 people have evacuated their residences in recent days as weather systems delivered prolonged downpours across much of the country’s northern region. The nation’s Emergency Operations Center (COE) provided a related but slightly higher figure, with Director Juan Manuel Mendez saying at a press conference that 30,500 people had been evacuated.
The rain’s human toll includes three reported fatalities. Local media accounts identified the victims as a seven-year-old girl who attempted to cross a river, a 19-year-old man who tried to cross on horseback, and an infant girl in the capital where a home wall collapsed amid the storms.
President Luis Abinader’s office said in a statement that the government’s immediate priorities are "to save lives, protect property and preserve infrastructure," and urged residents to avoid areas deemed vulnerable. Abinader has declared a national emergency in five provinces as well as in the capital.
The COE director also reported that 14 communities had been left isolated, 6,100 homes had been inundated and that highways and bridges sustained damage as a result of the storms.
Meteorological Institute chief Gloria Ceballos warned that the rains were not over. "The rains will continue," she said, adding that a short easing is expected before precipitation intensifies again over the coming weekend. Ceballos described a frontal system that remains stationary in the northeast and noted that the soil is already saturated, observing that there has been "practically 45 days of it raining every day in some parts of the territory."
Across the nearby U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, authorities issued warnings that heavy rain and thunderstorms could spark urban flooding later on Monday.
As emergency operations continue, officials are focused on evacuations, protecting property and assessing damage to transport links and residential areas. The persistence of the frontal system and the already saturated ground are central concerns for responders, who are preparing for further rainfall later in the week and renewed intensification by the weekend.