Storm lashes Haiti, Dominican Republic

The storm could dump up to 25 cm of rain, with a maximum of 38 cm in some areas. Pic/AP

Tropical Storm Franklin roared toward the island of Hispaniola shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti early on Wednesday, bringing fears it would trigger deadly landslides and heavy flooding in both countries.

Franklin was expected to swirl above the island for most of Wednesday, with forecasters warning the storm could dump up to 25 cm of rain, with a maximum of 38 cm in isolated areas. By early Wednesday morning, the storm had maximum winds of 85 kmph, with higher gusts and was moving northward at 17 kmph. In the Caribbean, officials were most concerned about Franklin's impact in Haiti, which is vulnerable to catastrophic flooding given the country's severe erosion.

Prime Minister Ariel Henry had urged Haitians on Tuesday to stock up on water, food and medication as authorities checked on some of the more than 200,000 people displaced by gang violence, with some living on the street or in makeshift shelters. Some recalled how a powerful thunderstorm that unleashed heavy rains one day in June left more than 40 people dead across Haiti.

In the Dominican Republic, officials shuttered schools, government agencies and airports with at least 24 of the country's 31 provinces on red alert. Flooding already was reported on Tuesday in the capital of Santo Domingo and beyond, where residents prepared for heavy rainfall.

24
No of provinces placed under red alert

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