Storm Forces Dominicans to Flee Homes
Thousands of people abandoned their homes Saturday as Tropical Storm Odette lashed the Dominican Republic with torrential rains.
Odette, the first named storm on record to form in the Caribbean during December, was forecast to bring up to 15 inches of rain to parts of the Dominican Republic and neighboring Haiti.
Before the storm made landfall on the Dominican south coast Saturday night, officials were already evacuating residents along swelling rivers and had opened the floodgates of three northern dams.
More than 10,000 people were evacuated from low-lying southwestern areas, said Julian Pena, governor of Barahona province.
The government deployed soldiers to help. Some evacuees took refuge at emergency shelters, while others moved in with family or friends.
It was the second time in less than a month that heavy rains have forced Dominicans from their homes.
Three weeks ago, rainstorms soaked the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, forcing thousands to leave and causing at least seven deaths.
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