New recommendations will be announced tomorrow at 11:00 am
SANTO DOMINGO- Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the Emergency Operations Center (COE), alerted the Dominican population this Friday to stay informed about the evolution of Hurricane Erin, which according to meteorological projections could cause rainfall accumulations of between 70 and 75 millimeters.
In a press conference, he called on all citizens to remain vigilant regarding the possibility of urban flooding in the National District and Santo Domingo province.
"We must take care of ourselves. However, although this event may occur at a great distance, there is historical precedent indicating that distant phenomena have caused situations in other countries, as they release cloud fields and troughs that generate such situations," said Méndez.
Although the center of the hurricane will pass 400 kilometers from the northeastern tip of the country, Méndez explained that projections point to rainfall accumulations between 70 and 75 millimeters, which could cause flooding in urban areas.
He explained that in rural areas the impact would be less because the soils are not saturated and can receive a lot of water.
For her part, the director of the Dominican Institute of Meteorology (Indomet), Gloria Ceballos, reported that Erin, currently a category 1 hurricane with winds of up to 120 kilometers per hour, is moving west-northwest and will continue to intensify as it moves over warm waters of the Caribbean.
Ceballos said that rain is expected to begin affecting the eastern region starting Saturday afternoon . However, Sunday is the day with the heaviest rainfall from this cyclone.
Provinces on alert
The COE issued a green alert for the provinces of La Altagracia, El Seibo, Samaná, María Trinidad Sánchez, Espaillat, Hato Mayor, Puerto Plata and Montecristi, corresponding to the Atlantic coast, where abnormal and dangerous waves are expected.
Méndez said that starting this Saturday afternoon , small, fragile and medium-sized vessels are advised to remain in port.
He announced that new recommendations, which could include restrictions on the use of beaches , will be released tomorrow at 11:00 am.
He also urged the population to take precautions in advance, reminding them that "the first principle of risk management is self-evacuation" and that they should not wait for the authorities to order an evacuation if they are in a vulnerable area.
He also reported that the country has 769 shelters available, with capacity for about 700,000 people.
