Fiona displaced 13,000 in the Dominican Republic, many left without water
Hurricane Fiona left two people dead, damaged 2,614 homes and displaced at least 13,070 people in the Dominican Republic, officials at the Caribbean nation said as they continued relief efforts Wednesday.
The hurricane, a Category One storm on Monday that slammed the Dominican Republic with 90-mph winds and heavy rains, also left 406,539 people without power and damaged 79 water mains, affecting water service to 1.43 million people, the country’s Center of Emergency Operations reported.
Officials said they were working hard to reestablish basic services, but as of Wednesday 78 water mains remained damaged.
Officials reported a second casualty attributed to Fiona. A young woman, Auriely Esther Calderón, died when she was hit by a falling electric pole in the town of Higüey. On Monday, officials reported that a 72-year-old man was struck and killed by a tree he was attempting to trim outside his house.
Fiona’s fury was felt worst in the provinces of El Seibo and La Altagracia, where hundreds of families had to be evacuated from their damaged homes. Videos on social media showed several flooded streets and structural damage to wooden houses.
