Jeanne Leaves 7 Dominicans Dead

Tropical Storm Jeanne headed toward the Bahamas on Saturday after an assault on the Dominican Republic that killed at least seven people, destroyed hundreds of houses and forced thousands from their homes.

The Dominican Republic’s National Emergency Committee said three people, including an 11-year-old boy, were swept away by swollen rivers; one man was crushed by a tree; and another died of a heart attack, unable to reach a hospital. Winds slammed a man riding a motorcycle into a telephone pole, killing him, and a baby died when a landslide crushed part of her house.

In a farming community near San Pedro de Macoris, birthplace of baseball star Sammy Sosa, the Soco River burst its banks Friday and left the community under 9 feet of water. Most of the 1,200 residents had evacuated, but about 200 people stranded on rooftops had to be rescued by helicopters.

By Saturday, the water had receded, leaving 6 inches of mud on streets littered with washing machines, mattresses and sofas.

“The only thing we all saved here was our lives,” said Yolanda Florentino, 39, as she carefully laid out her six children’s soggy birth certificates on a chair.

In Puerto Rico, where two people died, half of the 4 million residents were without running water for a fourth day; 70% still had no electricity. President Bush declared the U.S. territory a disaster zone Friday. The island’s agricultural losses were estimated at $100 million.