Safety agencies are emitting alerts and ordering evacuations
Tropical storm Emily officially formed yesterday afternoon at 7pm
Several countries of the Caribbean as Puerto Rico and the two nation island of Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti) are keeping an eye on the Tropical Storm Emily’s track. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecast in Miami Tuesday morning that the storm’s effects would start being felt locally within 24 hours.
The storm is expected to bring up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) of rain to the Leeward and Windward islands and 6 inches (15 centimeters) to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, enough to cause flash floods and mud slides in areas that have already seen heavy rainfall, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.
Emily is expected to bring downpours late Tuesday on the country’s southern coast after crossing the northeast Caribbean Sea.
Safety agencies measures
The country’s public safety agencies grouped in the COE urged citizens to remain alert to official weather bulletins, as the storm is expected to pass near land.
Due to the imminent approach of tropical storm Emily tomorrow afternoon, the Water Observatory and the Center for Emergency Operations (COE) order evacuation in area near the discharge areas of the nation’s dams as a precautionary measure.
The measure was adopted yesterday during a meeting held at the National Hydraulic Resource Institute (INDRHI), is due to the fact that the hydro-electric generators will be working at their maximum levels so that the reservoirs can store the expected rains.
The COE increased it alert from green to yellow for San Juan de la Maguana and Barahona and they will begin today the evacuation in these areas, according to the explanations offered by General Juan Mendez Garcia. The COE also activated the green alert for La Altagracia, La Romana, San Pedro de Macoris, Santo Domingo, the National District, San Cristobal, Azua, Pedernales and Peravia.
The director of the National Meteorological Office (Onamet), Gloria Ceballos, reported that they are keeping a strict watch on Emily, who center is found some 565 kilometers to the Southeast of Puerto Rico.
With regard to Santiago, the authorities asked the residents of the vulnerable areas to clean up the gutters and the roofs of houses as a preventive measure.
