Rains took a heavy toll in the East

SANTO DOMINGO.- In La Altagracia province, the rains from the tropical disturbance caused the Duey River to flood, taking nine houses that were build on the river bank in the Gallera Vieja section of Higüey and damaging two more on Remigio del Castillo Street. In San Rafael del Yuna the flood water forced fifty families to move out, and cut off six communities. In San Pedro de Macorís the floods took the life of young Jordani Astacio, 9 years old. 

In the Gallera Vieja section, nine houses that had been there for more than 20 years were swept away by the strong currents of the Duey, their inhabitants escaping with their lives by some miracle. 

Ovidio Castro, a Civil Defense worker, said that during the early morning yesterday they had to forcefully remove 200 families in several of the barrios, such as Los Platanitos, La Presa and others. 

Meanwhile, the provincial governor, Luis Rafael Cedeno, said that he had told the evacuees to “find a ‘little lot’ somewhere and the government will help them build a little house.”  

Nonetheless, he did guarantee a supply of food to the victims as long as the bad weather from this disturbance lasts. 

In San Rafael del Yuna, 50 families were evacuated by Civil Defense workers, and the communities of Cascajal, Los Negros, Caño Negro, El Atajadizo and La Finca are cut off due to the flooding from the Yuma River. 

Diario Libre