SANTO DOMINGO. – Due to the intense rainfall in recent days in that area, the Emergency Operations Center (COE) issued a red alert for the province of San José de Ocoa , after warning of possible landslides in that area.
“We want to issue a special warning to residents of San José de Ocoa, especially in the mountainous areas, to remain alert for possible landslides. The soil is completely saturated due to the large amount of accumulated rainfall,” warned Edwin Olivares, deputy director of the COE.
Due to the remnants of Hurricane Melissa, which has caused extensive damage in its wake through Jamaica and Cuba, authorities in the country are maintaining 12 provinces on yellow alert and 11 on green alert, due to the significant rainfall that has occurred.
According to Wagner Rivera, a forecaster at the Dominican Institute of Meteorology (Indomet), the rains of the last few days have been "copious" in much of the national territory.
“The highest recorded rainfall was in San José de Ocoa with 78.4 millimeters , followed by Peralta with 67.4 , San Cristóbal with 46.8 and La Isabela airport with 37.4 millimeters ,” Rivera reported.
During the last five days 446 millimeters have been recorded in Polo Barahona, while the María Montés airport was another of the areas with the highest accumulation, with 186 millimeters .
Olivares, representative of the COE, announced that the provinces of Pedernales, Elías Piña, Dajabón, Azua, San Cristóbal, Independencia, Peravia, Monte Plata, San Juan, Monte Cristi and Barahona yellow alert
Additionally, a green alert is in effect for Monseñor Nouel, Samaná, San Pedro de Macorís, Santo Domingo, Duarte, La Romana, Hato Mayor, La Altagracia, El Seibo, Santiago Rodríguez and the National District.
