NewsWhore
08-21-2007, 05:40 PM
The DR was spared the worst of dangerous Hurricane Dean. Life went about as usual in most of the DR and most Dominicans continued with their long weekend vacation plans. Dean did not affect the north and east coasts. In the southeast, some debris was thrown on to beaches in Juan Dolio, but this was rapidly cleared. The Altos de Chavon 5,000-seat amphitheater's Caetano Veloso concert took place in front of a 4,000-strong crowd in La Romana, on the southeastern coast.
Because of Dean, flights to the Caribbean were suspended on Saturday, and the ferry to Puerto Rico did not sail. The main cargo ports were also closed on Saturday, as a preventive measure.
But there was also some tragedy and distress. A young man died when risking his life, reportedly to catch crabs, on the Las Americas Highway coastline. One of the gigantic waves that were hitting the coastline grabbed him into the angry seas, and he drowned as now more cautious bystanders looked on helplessly. The death led to warnings from the authorities to the thousands of bystanders who watched how the ferocious Caribbean Sea, with Category 4 force Hurricane Dean's 215 kph winds, churning approximately 240 kms away, battered the coastline.
Two bodies were found after a fishing boat capsized in the Taveras Dam's lake with seven men on board. Three more men are missing, and two reached shore. The fishermen were at work despite the bad weather warnings.
The capital's Malecon seafront avenue, mainly on its Autopista 30 de Mayo section, was one of the worst affected areas, with strong waves throwing rocks and debris thrown onto the highway. On Sunday and Monday, Santo Domingo city crews cleared the area, taking advantage of the reduced traffic due to the holiday.
In Barahona province, the underpass linking the cities of Barahona and Pedernales at Enriquillo was flooded. The authorities have been building a bridge there for many years, but for unknown reasons it has never been completed. Reportedly, traffic to Pedernales was cut off when the storm passed south of the DR's southwestern coast, the closest it got to Dominican soil. According to reports, the power supply in Pedernales is still cut off as repairs are being made to the distribution lines.
There is no final damage report, but the authorities estimate that 349 dwellings were damaged, 145 severely and 13 totally. Most of these dwellings were on the seafront.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#5)
Because of Dean, flights to the Caribbean were suspended on Saturday, and the ferry to Puerto Rico did not sail. The main cargo ports were also closed on Saturday, as a preventive measure.
But there was also some tragedy and distress. A young man died when risking his life, reportedly to catch crabs, on the Las Americas Highway coastline. One of the gigantic waves that were hitting the coastline grabbed him into the angry seas, and he drowned as now more cautious bystanders looked on helplessly. The death led to warnings from the authorities to the thousands of bystanders who watched how the ferocious Caribbean Sea, with Category 4 force Hurricane Dean's 215 kph winds, churning approximately 240 kms away, battered the coastline.
Two bodies were found after a fishing boat capsized in the Taveras Dam's lake with seven men on board. Three more men are missing, and two reached shore. The fishermen were at work despite the bad weather warnings.
The capital's Malecon seafront avenue, mainly on its Autopista 30 de Mayo section, was one of the worst affected areas, with strong waves throwing rocks and debris thrown onto the highway. On Sunday and Monday, Santo Domingo city crews cleared the area, taking advantage of the reduced traffic due to the holiday.
In Barahona province, the underpass linking the cities of Barahona and Pedernales at Enriquillo was flooded. The authorities have been building a bridge there for many years, but for unknown reasons it has never been completed. Reportedly, traffic to Pedernales was cut off when the storm passed south of the DR's southwestern coast, the closest it got to Dominican soil. According to reports, the power supply in Pedernales is still cut off as repairs are being made to the distribution lines.
There is no final damage report, but the authorities estimate that 349 dwellings were damaged, 145 severely and 13 totally. Most of these dwellings were on the seafront.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#5)