• Submitted by: manso
• Society
• 08 / 24 / 2011

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August 24, 2011 12:54 PM.SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, Aug 24 (Bernama) -- Hurricane Irene has left nearly 11,657 people displaced in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and put eastern Cuba on alert, reports China's news agency Xinhua quoting authorities in the three countries on Tuesday.

The Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Irene is an "extremely dangerous storm" which is expected to strengthen. The storm was by late Tuesday afternoon moving over the Hispaniola Island with sustained winds of 150 kph.

In the Dominican Republic, which shares the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with Haiti, the Emergency Operations Center (COE) said 11,157 people had been displaced while 45 communities had been flooded and one person was reported missing.

Civil defence authorities had moved most of the displaced out of the risk zones to safe areas prior to the expected landfall of Irene, which currently is a Category 2 hurricane.

Some 1,300 tourists were included in the number of the displaced, a COE official said.

The tourists were evacuated from the hotels known as the Cataluna, Gran Domicus and Dominicus, all located in the eastern tourist cities of La Romana and Higuey which have been out of contact since about midday Tuesday when the telecommunications
systems broke down.

All flights to and from the Dominican Republic continue to be cancelled.

In neighbouring Haiti, meanwhile, about 500 people were evacuated after the heavy rains flooded large areas in the northern part of the island nation, according to Alta Jean Baptiste from the Civil Protection Service (DPC).

"The technical staff at the DPC continue to evaluate the contingency plan in order to mobilise help where it is needed," said Jean Baptiste, who added that several sections of roads in northern Haiti had been flooded after rivers broke their banks.

In Cuba, the National Headquarters of the Cuban Civil Defence (DC) activated the early warning system in the eastern provinces on Tuesday, due to the proximity of the rains of Hurricane Irene.

"All the municipalities in eastern Cuba should monitor the impact of rainfall, especially in lowlands and uplands, near rivers and dams," a DC release said.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Irene "could become a major hurricane" above category 4 by Wednesday night or Thursday.

The NHC warned that water levels are expected to rise by over 3 meters with the potential to create "life-threatening flash floods and mudslides in areas of steep terrain" across the Caribbean region Irene will pass.-- BERNAMA

Source: /www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsworld.php?id=610051