Residents of the Dominican Republic are preparing for severe weather this weekend, after national authorities activated full emergency response protocols on Friday ahead of an approaching frontal system forecast to bring heavy, widespread rainfall across much of the country. The announcement followed a high-level coordination meeting led by President Luis Abinader at the National Palace in Santo Domingo, where officials confirmed the government would operate in permanent session to monitor the storm’s progression and coordinate rapid responses to any emerging hazards.
Following the meeting, Juan Manuel Méndez, general director of the country’s Emergency Operations Center (COE), issued clear guidance to the public: all residents are asked to avoid recreational visits to coastal areas, and to cooperate fully with mandatory evacuation orders for communities located in high-risk, vulnerable zones. Méndez emphasized that public compliance is critical to preventing avoidable loss of life, stressing that non-cooperation during evacuations could put both residents and first responders at unnecessary risk.
Two tiers of weather alerts are currently in effect across 19 provinces and the National District. Five provinces — Monseñor Nouel, Santiago Rodríguez, Santiago, La Vega, and Monte Cristi — are under yellow alert, indicating elevated risk of severe weather impacts. A green alert, signaling preliminary preparedness is required, covers the National District, the province of Santo Domingo, Elías Piña, San José de Ocoa, Monte Plata, Puerto Plata, Dajabón, Duarte (with a specific focus on the vulnerable Lower Yuna region), San Cristóbal, Valverde, San Juan, Independencia, and Bahoruco.
According to updates from the Dominican Institute of Meteorology (Indomet), rainfall is set to begin in the early hours of Saturday and persist through the entire day. Over a 24 to 48-hour window, total precipitation accumulation is expected to reach 100 to 125 millimeters across most affected areas, driven by the combination of the approaching frontal system and an associated trough. Forecasters project rain will intensify through Saturday afternoon, bringing moderate to extreme downpours, with risks of isolated hailstorms, severe thunderstorms, and strong wind gusts. The hardest-hit areas are expected to include Greater Santo Domingo, Monte Plata, Sánchez Ramírez, Duarte, Monseñor Nouel, La Vega, Espaillat, Hermanas Mirabal, and much of the Cibao region, with particularly severe conditions forecast for the Central Mountain Range, the country’s border region, and southwestern provinces.
Méndez warned that widespread soil saturation will increase the likelihood of flash flooding across large swathes of the country, and alert levels may be upgraded to higher tiers if the weather system intensifies beyond current projections. In addition to flood risk, Indomet has flagged hazards including urban flooding, rising water levels in rivers and streams, landslides in hilly terrain, and sudden wind gusts. The agency noted that alert levels will be updated continuously over the next 72 hours as new weather data becomes available.
Alongside storm warnings, meteorological officials added that hot, humid conditions will persist before and after rain events, driven by warm, moist wind flow from the east and southeast. In urban areas, the heat index will reach particularly high levels, prompting Indomet to recommend that residents wear lightweight clothing, stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids, and limit extended exposure to direct sunlight.
President Abinader reaffirmed the government’s commitment to proactive preparation, stating that national authorities will remain on constant alert to monitor every development of the weather system across the entire country, with resources pre-positioned to respond to any emergency that arises. “The Government will be attentive to every situation throughout the country, both to anticipate and to react in any case,” Abinader said. Méndez echoed this call for vigilance, urging all residents, even those not currently under elevated alerts, to follow guidance from civil protection agencies, monitor official weather updates closely, and avoid complacency. He added that residents should never attempt to cross swollen rivers, streams, or ravines while rain is ongoing, a leading cause of storm-related fatalities in tropical weather events.