At least 1 dead, 1 missing as Tropical Storm Franklin batters Dominican Republic
Published:Wednesday | August 23, 2023 | 3:13 PM
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Tropical Storm Franklin unleashed heavy floods and landslides in the Dominican Republic on Wednesday after making landfall in the country’s southern region, killing at least one person and injuring two others.
The storm was expected to swirl for most of the day above the island of Hispaniola that the Dominican Republic shares with Haiti.
Forecasters warned the storm could drop up to 12 inches (30 centimetres) of rain in the Dominican Republic, with a maximum of 16 inches (41 centimetres) for the country’s western and central regions.
Meanwhile, up to 4 inches (10 centimetres) of rain are forecast for Haiti, with nearly eight inches (20 centimetres) for the country’s eastern regions.
“The population of the Dominican Republic must all be right now, without exception, in their homes, the homes of friends and family, or in shelters,” said Juan Manuel Méndez, emergency operations director.
The Civil Defence identified the man killed as Carlos Marino Martínez, saying he died in the city of San Cristobal after being swept away floodwaters.
The agency initially said he was one of its volunteers, but later corrected the information saying it misidentified a uniform he was wearing.
They did not provide further details.
Two women in that city also were injured following a landslide and were hospitalized, officials said.
More than 300 people were huddled in shelters in the Dominican Republic, where emergency operations officials said they were looking for a 54-year-old man with mental health problems who went missing after he jumped into a creek late Tuesday.
Another 280 people were evacuated from their homes to safer ground, with at least six communities cut off by heavy rains, officials said.
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