New weather forecasts indicate that what started out as a tropical depression moving on a path south of the Dominican Republic is now likely to make a direct hit to the island as a strong tropical storm. The storm is now expected to make an abrupt turn north on a similar path to that of infamous Hurricane David when it hit the DR big in 1979.
The National Weather Office (Onamet) has been recommending Dominicans follow the storms passing through the area as they make their way into the waters of the Caribbean Sea.
Weather forecasters say that one of these storms, now named Tropical Storm Franklin, could reach the Dominican Republic as a Tropical Storm by Tuesday, 21 August 2023.
MikeFisher, the expert weather forecaster for DR1 Forums has been keeping close track of the storm and reporting for DR1 readers.
On Sunday, 21 Augiust, he reported that “the water load of such northwards moving TS will come down on its east sides, so that will def be over our soil. Let’s get ready to bring the cattle in, prepare for a lot of heavy rain and on the track from Barahona through the Cibao to Puerto Plata for a strong windfield of TS Force.”
The US National Hurricane Center reports heavy rainfall from Franklin can be expected across portions of Puerto Rico and Hispaniola through the middle of the week. The heavy rainfall may produce areas of flash and urban flooding as well as river rises and mudslides across Hispaniola with significant and potentially life-threatening flash flooding possible Tuesday into Wednesday.
Onamet alerts:
“On Tuesday, Tropical Storm Franklin will directly impact the Dominican Republic, causing cloudy increases with strong to intense downpours, frequent electrical storms, very strong gusts of wind and dangerous waves over a large part of the national geography.”
The Center for Emergency Operations (COE) has the southern provinces under yellow alert and the northern provinces under green alert so far.
The National District and the provinces of Santo Domingo, San Cristóbal, Peravia, Barahona, San Juan, Independencia, Elías Piña, San Pedro de Macorís, San José de Ocoa, Monte Plata, Pedernales, Azua, Bahoruco and La Altagracia are on yellow alert.
In green are La Vega, Sánchez Ramírez, Duarte, Santiago, Espaillat, Hermanas Mirabal, Valverde, Puerto Plata, Monsignor Nouel, Hato Mayor, El Seibo, Samaná, María Trinidad Sánchez, Santiago Rodríguez and Dajabón.
Follow the storm:
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DR1 Weather
21 August 2023