Tropical Storm Franklin has caused heavy rain and flooding in the Dominican Republic. According to information from the US Hurricane Center (NHC), the storm center made landfall yesterday morning (local time) with sustained wind speeds of up to 85 kilometers per hour near the port city of Barahona on the southern coast of the Caribbean country.
In the afternoon, with a weakened wind of up to 65 kilometers per hour, it reached the Atlantic again on the north coast. According to the NHC, however, there was still a risk of heavy rain and flash floods.
A man drowned in the city of San Cristóbal, Dominican media reported, citing civil defense. Flooded roads and fallen trees were seen in several parts of the country in pictures released by the agency. More than 340,000 connections were without power, as the civil protection authority COE announced in a press conference. Haiti, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic, also got rain. Initially, however, there were no reports of any damage from the poor country, which is particularly vulnerable to natural disasters and the consequences of climate change.
The NHC issued a tropical storm warning for the Turks and Caicos Islands. “Franklin” is expected to regain strength over the sea and could reach almost hurricane strength over the southwest Atlantic by Saturday, it said.
Tropical cyclone season lasts from June to November in the Atlantic. There is talk of a hurricane from sustained wind speeds of 119 kilometers per hour. Climate change increases the likelihood of strong storms.
