Weather Alert: Countrywide (Dominican Republic), Heavy rains expected with potential for flash flooding

Location:  Throughout Dominican Republic

Event:  The Emergency Operations Center (COE) of the Dominican Republic has issued a red alert for four provinces, including Santo Domingo, and a yellow alert for 13 provinces due to heavy rainfall that is expected to continue across portions of the Dominican Republic through the night.  The heavy rainfall is expected to produce significant and potentially life-threatening flash and urban flooding.

Individuals with Consular appointments for December 20, 2023, should monitor their emails for any updates.

U.S. citizens needing assistance should call 809-567-7775 or email SDOAmericans@state.gov.

Actions to Take:

• Do not walk, swim, or drive through flood waters.
• Move to higher ground or higher floors to avoid rising waters.
• Stay off bridges and do not move through flood 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.
• Remain current on weather, road and water conditions through news sources such as the National Hurricane Center https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ .
• 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”.
• Spanish language alerts are available from the website of the Dominican Emergency Operations Center (COE) http://www.coe.gob.do/ or via their mobile app “alertaCOE”.
• 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 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:

• 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 
• State Department – Consular Affairs: 1-888-407-4747 toll-free from the United States and Canada, or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries.
• Dominican Republic Country Information Page 
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates.
• Follow us on Facebook  and Twitter .