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| Weather
News |
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| Caribbean storm kills 20 people |
| At least 20 people have been killed in flooding in the Dominican Republic following torrential rains dumped by Tropical Storm Noel.
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| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
, 30-October-2007
10:12:4 AM |
| Most of the deaths were reported along the south coast, east of the capital Santo Domingo.
It is feared the death toll will rise, with another 20 reported missing.
The storm was continuing to drop heavy rain on the country and on neighbouring Haiti, as it travelled towards Cuba and the Bahamas.
By 0900 GMT, Noel's centre was very near the town of Gibara on the north coast of Cuba and some 270 miles (435km) south-east of Nassau in the Bahamas.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami warned that the storm was expected to strengthen and bring heavy rain to south-eastern Cuba and central and south-eastern Bahamas.
Power cuts
At least 10in (25cm) of rain has already fallen on the island of Hispaniola - divided between the Dominican Republic and Haiti - and the rain is continuing to fall there, forcing river levels higher.
Several bridges are reported to have collapsed, cutting off communities, and early on Monday the entire power system for the Dominican Republic was temporarily knocked out.
Hundreds of people were being evacuated, amid fears of flash floods and landslides, the country's authorities said.
Great damage has already been done to crops.
At least 10 people died when a river burst its banks east of Santo Domingo in the single worst incident reported.
Reports suggested between three and five people died in another incident in San Jose de Ocoa, also to the east of the capital.
Deforested slopes
Hispaniola is particularly vulnerable to flooding because of its steep hills and because many houses are no more than shacks.
While there were not as yet any reports of fatalities from Haiti, the country often suffers worse from flooding than its neighbour because so much of it has been deforested.
The storm had been forecast to hit Haiti hardest, but it veered towards the Dominican Republic on Monday.
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