Location: Dominican Republic
Event: The Emergency Operations Center (COE) of the Dominican Republic has reduced the alert level for Santo Domingo from red to yellow, and U.S. Embassy Santo Domingo will be open for routine and emergency consular services on Monday, October 27, including the Visas Assistance Center at Sambil.
Please note Hurricane Melissa remains a dangerous storm. It could change track at any time and is expected to bring significant and damaging rains to the Dominican Republic throughout the coming week. U.S. citizens potentially in the path of the hurricane should continue to carefully monitor COE alerts and media outlets for local conditions and updates.
COE continues to maintain red alerts for four provinces (Barahona, Bahoruco, Independencia, and Pedernales) due to Hurricane Melissa. Thirteen provinces remain on yellow alert, and 13 provinces remain on green alert. Details on each province’s red, yellow, and green alert status are available via COE, see below.
Stay current on weather, road and water conditions through news sources such as the National Hurricane Center (English) at https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ and/or COE (Spanish) at http://www.coe.gob.do/ or via their mobile app “alertaCOE.”
Actions to Take:
· Check your email for information on rescheduling a consular appointment.
· If you have a flight scheduled in the coming days, stay in touch with your airline regarding delays and/or cancellations.
· Do not walk, swim, or drive through flood waters. Stay off bridges.
· Move to higher ground or higher floors to avoid rising water.
· If your vehicle is stuck in water, only depart the vehicle for higher ground if it is safe to do so; check for water depth, and that water is not swiftly moving (as little as 6 inches of fast-moving water can make adults fall, and 1 foot of moving water can move vehicles).
· If your vehicle is trapped in rapidly moving water, stay inside. If water is rising inside of the vehicle, seek refuge on the roof.
· Contact police or other authorities if you encounter dangerous conditions and follow warnings and directions provided. If you have an emergency, call 911. The tourist police (POLITUR) central number is 809-200-3500 (assistance available in English) or via mobile app “POLITUR APP.”
· U.S. citizen residents and visitors are strongly encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Program, which enables the Embassy to share both emergency and routine information relevant to the Dominican Republic at https://step.state.gov/.
· Visit Ready.gov for tips on emergency preparedness.
· Update and review your family’s contingency plans. All U.S. citizens should have evacuation plans that do not rely on U.S. government assistance.
· Make sure your travel documents are up to date and easily accessible.
· If you are in an emergency and are safe, be sure to notify friends and loved ones.
Assistance:
· U.S. Embassy Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Av. República de Colombia 57, Santo Domingo
Emergencies: 809-567-7775
Non-emergency inquiries: SDOAmericans@state.gov
Website: https://do.usembassy.gov/ or follow on Twitter and Facebook
