The Dominican Republic (DR) experienced fatal consequences over the weekend as intense rainfall from a tropical system led to the collapse of a highway wall due to flooding.
A potential tropical cyclone brought abundant moisture to Cuba, Haiti, and the DR, resulting in heavy and persistent rainfall. By Saturday, 18NOV, significant flooding had already inundated the capital city of Santo Domingo, necessitating rescue operations.
Open Jaw's Natasha Mckenty, currently in Santo Domingo, covering a FAM trip, witnessed the rapid onset of flooding, accompanied by brief power outages.
Local media and officials have reported at least 20 fatalities, including three children, attributed to the severe weather conditions..
The storm, characterized as one of the "most severe weather disasters in decades for the Dominican Republic," placed Greater Santo Domingo under a yellow alert as it unleashed with great intensity. The BBC reports that more than 13,000 people were evacuated to secure areas. "Dominican President Luis Abinader called it the 'largest rainfall event ever' in the country's history."
Fox News reported that the Dominican Republic Department of Civil Defense posted a distressing video on social media showing a car flattened beneath a collapsed highway tunnel wall during the flooding. Juan Salas, Civil Defense Executive Director, disclosed ongoing efforts to free individuals trapped inside the vehicle.
On the night of Saturday, 18NOV, Open Jaw travelling through the rain soaked streets of the capital oblivious to the fact that rescuers were extracting those who perished under debris from a fallen wall, as Reuters reported.
Stu Ostro, Sr Meteorologist at the Weather Channel, shared an image of the storm on X (formerly Twitter), indicating that "Deep, torrential convection" caused the flash flooding in DR "after doing so in Jamaica and Haiti.
Deep, torrential convection causing flash flooding in #DominicanRepublic, after doing so in #Jamaica and #Haiti
Systems like #PTC22 don't necessarily have to become tropical cyclones to be dangerous pic.twitter.com/HZMSKIOZHf
— Stu Ostro (@StuOstro) November 19, 2023
"The Emergency Operations Center (COE) of the Dominican Republic has issued a red alert for eight provinces and a yellow alert for 17 provinces related to heavy rainfall from a tropical depression that is expected to continue across portions of the Dominican Republic for the next 48 hours. The heavy rainfall is expected to produce significant and potentially life-threatening flash and urban flooding," the statement read.
Open Jaw’s McKenty moved to Juan Dolio the next day where all facilities remain open despite flooding and ongoing rainfall; as of the evening of 19NOV, heavy rain continued, which kept tourists inside.
Popular tourist destinations such as Punta Cana and Porto Plata remained unaffected by the storms. Santo Domingo, Las Americas International Airport (SDQ) reports minimal delays.
According to The Interactive Country Fiches, an online organization that provides environmental situation data, the Caribbean stands as one of the global tourist destinations most susceptible to climate change and its repercussions, including hotter summers and a heightened frequency of extreme events.
Persistent heavy rain and ongoing flooding are expected until Monday in some regions of the Dominican Republic. The forecast suggests a decrease in rainfall on Monday, 20NOV, as the system moves towards the north.
