Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic declare a state of emergency due to tropical storm ‘Fiona’

The Government of the Dominican Republic and the Governor of Puerto Rico, Pedro Pierluisi, announced this Saturday the declaration of a state of emergency due to the passage of tropical storm ‘Fiona’. The Directorate of the Emergency Operations Center (COE) of the Dominican Government It has been reported that almost half of the country’s territory is in the maximum meteorological alert, the red one. Maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour have been recorded and an increase in intensity is expected as it moves away from Guadeloupe and advances by waters of the Caribbean Sea. That is why up to twelve Dominican provinces are now on red alert. Eight are on yellow alert and the remaining eleven are on green alert level. In the case of Puerto Rico, Pierluisi has also declared the Dry Law between 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and until Sunday and the National Guard has been activated. “It is important that we remain calm, but that we are active ensuring our safety and that of our families, particularly for those who are in places prone to flooding,” Pierluisi said at a press conference collected by the Puerto Rican newspaper ‘El Nuevo Día’ The secretary of the Department of Public Security, Alexis Torres, will be the official responsible for coordinating emergencies, explained the governor, who has warned that they are prepared to request an emergency declaration at the federal level. In addition, 15 shelters have been set up in 10 municipalities: Dorado, Bayamón, Toa Alta, Toa Baja, Guayanilla, Peñuelas, Adjuntas, Ponce, Culebra and Guánica. Three people are refugees. In total, Puerto Rico has 365 shelters with a capacity for 74,500 people. According to the bulletin from the National Hurricane Center at 8:00 a.m., ‘Fiona’ could be a hurricane or close to it when it moves south-southwest of the island and southeast of the Dominican Republic between Saturday night and Sunday morning.