SANTO DOMINGO.- For the second consecutive day, the Ministry of Education of the Dominican Republic (MINERD) has suspended classes in schools located in vulnerable areas of the provinces under yellow alert, due to the persistent weather conditions affecting the national territory and which have caused heavy rains in much of the country.
The Emergency Operations Center (COE) raised the number of provinces under alert to 23 on Tuesday afternoon due to the persistence of the atmospheric phenomenon. Eleven provinces and the National District are under yellow alert, and the number of provinces under green alert was increased to 11, given that weather conditions continue to be dominated by a trough at different levels and will continue through Wednesday morning, with moderate to heavy rains and gusty winds.
The Dominican Institute of Meteorology (INDOMET) forecasts continued humid and unstable atmospheric conditions for Wednesday . In its latest report, it indicated that moderate to heavy downpours, accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds, are expected starting in the morning, primarily along the Caribbean coast. These rains will spread to towns in the northwest and the Central Mountain Range during the afternoon, the report added.
Suspension seeks to safeguard safety
Education explained that the suspension of classes seeks to safeguard the integrity of students, teachers and administrative staff in schools exposed to flooding, rising rivers and ravines, as well as in coastal areas and areas prone to landslides.
In that regard, the Ministry granted regional and district education authorities the power to maintain the suspension of teaching in those centers where conditions persist that represent a risk to the educational community, taking into consideration the particular situation of each territory and the evolution of the meteorological phenomenon.
He specified that these decisions must be agreed upon between the regional and district directors, who will have to evaluate the conditions of the educational centers and maintain monitoring of the most vulnerable areas.
He also instructed territorial education authorities to ensure that decisions related to the continuation of the suspension are communicated in a timely manner to students, teachers, administrative staff and families.
Likewise, he reminded those in charge of educational centers of the importance of keeping preventive protocols active and adopting the necessary measures to safeguard school facilities, equipment and resources against the possible effects of the rains.
The Ministry reported that, through its Directorate of Environmental and Risk Management, it is monitoring weather conditions in the educational regions located in the area of influence of the phenomenon, in coordination with the Emergency Operations Center (COE) and civil protection agencies.
Finally, he urged the entire educational community to stay attentive to the official bulletins of the COE and the provisions issued by the educational authorities of their respective districts.
Provinces that remain under alert
According to the COE map, 23 provinces remain under alert due to the rainfall in the country. Those marked in yellow are: Pedernales, Bahoruco, Independencia, Barahona, Azua, San José de Ocoa, San Juan, Monte Plata, the National District, Santo Domingo, San Cristóbal, and Peravia.
The remaining 11, which are under green alert, are La Vega, San Pedro de Macorís, Monseñor Nouel, Sánchez Ramírez, El Seibo, Samaná, Dajabón, Elías Piña, Hato Mayor, La Altagracia and La Romana.
