Event: Beginning the afternoon of August 21, heavy rainfall from Tropical Storm Franklin is expected across portions of the Dominican Republic 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 the Dominican Republic, significant and potentially life-threatening flash flooding is possible Tuesday, August 22, into Wednesday, August 23.
The Embassy will be closed to the public August 22, including the cancellation of routine in-person services such as visa and passport appointments. The Consular Section will reschedule cancelled appointments as soon as possible.
U.S. citizens needing assistance should call 809-567-7775 or email SDOAmericans@state.gov.
Actions to Take:
- Do not walk, swim, or drive through flood waters.
- Move to higher ground or higher floors to avoid rising waters.
- Stay off bridges and do not move through flood water.
- If your vehicle is stuck in water, only depart the vehicle for higher ground if it is safe to do so; check for water depth, and that water is not swiftly moving (as little as 6 inches of fast-moving water can make adults fall, and 1 foot of moving water can move vehicles).
- If your vehicle is trapped in rapidly moving water, stay inside. If water is rising inside of the vehicle, seek refuge on the roof.
- Remain current on weather, road and water conditions through news sources such as the National Hurricane Center https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/.
- Contact police or other authorities if you encounter dangerous conditions and follow warnings and directions provided. If you have an emergency, call 911. The tourist police (POLITUR) central number is 809-200-3500 (assistance available in English) or via mobile app “POLITUR APP”.
- Spanish language alerts are available from the website of the Dominican Emergency Operations Center (COE) http://www.coe.gob.do/ or via their mobile app “alertaCOE”.
- U.S. citizen residents and visitors are strongly encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Program, which enables the Embassy to share both emergency and routine information relevant to the Dominican Republic at https://step.state.gov/.
- Visit Ready.gov for tips on emergency preparedness
- Update and review your family’s contingency plans. All U.S. citizens should have evacuation plans that do not rely on U.S. government assistance.
- Make sure your travel documents are up to date and easily accessible.
- If you are in an emergency and are safe, be sure to notify friends and loved ones.
Assistance:
- U.S. Embassy Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Av. República de Colombia 57, Santo Domingo
Emergencies: 809-567-7775
Non-emergency inquiries: SDOAmericans@state.gov
Website: https://do.usembassy.gov/ or follow on Twitter and Facebook
Source : US Embassy
