[DR1] Historic storm hits Santiago and Cibao

[NewsWhore]

One of the fiercest rain storms many can remember swept through the central Santiago and Cibao yesterday. The La Informacion reported flooding of major proportions and hundreds of homes inundated. Both the Diario Libre and the El Caribe also carried frontpage pictures of the flooded streets. Dozens of young men pitched in to move stalled vehicles as lightening and hail made things even more dangerous. The local Civil Defense office began rescue operations shortly after the storm began, but the three hours of rain, wind and lightening created very difficult working conditions. In the Santiago Industrial Free Zone an entire wall was knocked down, and in other areas trees were felled by the combination of high winds and already soaked earth. Francisco Arias, the local CD chief, told reporters that the creeks and smaller rivers were overflowing, affecting areas such as Nibaje, Los Cocos, and Vuelta Larga. Towns like Licey al Medio and Tamboril, already victims of past floods were once again under assault. One man, identified as Jose Bisono, and his niece, were saved by rescuers just moments before the vehicle went into a flooded arroyo. The major thoroughfares of the largest city in the Cibao Valley were paralyzed by traffic tie-ups caused by stalled cars and fallen trees and signs. Arias told reporters fro El Caribe that is was impossible to tell just how many houses suffered from the storm, and that his teams were going to begin the surveys at once.

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