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 of rain in the Dominican Republic, with a maximum of 16 inches for the country's western and central regions. Meanwhile, up to 4 inches of rain are forecast for Haiti, with nearly 8 inches for the country's eastern regions.
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.
Hércules Urbáez, a 41-year-old father of six who lives in the city of Barahona, where Franklin made landfall, said he and his family went to his mother's house for safety.On Wednesday afternoon, the storm was centered about 40 miles south of Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. It had maximum winds of 40 mph with higher gusts and was moving northward at 13 mph .
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Harold weakened into a tropical depression Tuesday night after making landfall in South Texas, bringing strong winds and rain, leaving thousands of homes without power. In the Dominican Republic, officials shuttered schools, government agencies and several airports with at least 25 of the country’s 31 provinces under red alert. On Wednesday, more than 400,000 customers were without power, and dozens of aqueducts were out of service because of heavy rains, affecting more than 1.3 million customers.
She hoped Franklin wouldn’t force her to temporarily abandon her home because she said people steal belongings left behind.“When two drops of water fall here, this suddenly becomes flooded,” said Juan Olivo Urbáez, who owns a small business in a community near the Ozama River.
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