As forecasters warn of incoming heavy precipitation across the Dominican Republic’s Santiago province, local Civil Defense leadership has publicly commended the proactive flood risk reduction work led by Santiago’s municipal mayor, Ulises Rodríguez.
Francisco Arias, regional director of the Dominican Civil Defense, highlighted that the municipal government has prioritized critical pre-storm preparedness tasks across high-risk neighborhoods and geographic hotspots. These interventions include clearing debris from natural ravines, unclogging urban drainage systems, removing accumulated waste from bridge approaches, collecting scattered solid waste from residential areas, and pruning overgrown tree branches that could threaten infrastructure during storms.
The work has already been fully rolled out across a range of priority zones, Arias confirmed, including 20th Street, 8th Street, the communities of Nibaje and Hoya de Caimito, and the high-risk Devil’s Ravine — all locations long identified as prone to dangerous waterlogging during heavy downpours. Beyond the physical infrastructure work, Arias noted that municipal crews have maintained a consistent, visible presence in these flood-prone areas to respond quickly to emerging hazards as the rain approaches.
In his remarks, Arias also extended recognition to Arismendi Dajer, the municipal government’s general secretary, and the full team of local municipal staff who have collaborated to advance the preparedness campaign.
Arias explained that pre-event mitigation is a core component of effective disaster management: by addressing hazards before storms hit, officials can dramatically cut the risk of destructive flooding and keep local residents safe. “Our Civil Defense teams have been continuously moving through vulnerable neighborhoods to share safety guidance with residents, and the Mayor’s Office has complemented that work with on-the-ground infrastructure upgrades that directly reduce flood risk,” he explained.
All of these coordinated actions fall under a broader, holistic disaster preparedness strategy designed to protect both the lives and property of Santiago residents, Arias added, emphasizing that the municipal government remains in a constant state of readiness to address any weather-related emergency.
In a final update, Arias confirmed that the interagency Prevention, Mitigation, and Response Committee (PMR) has already been activated, with round-the-clock monitoring of shifting weather conditions already underway. Since the previous day, Civil Defense response brigades have been door-to-door in at-risk communities, walking local families through the key safety steps they should follow if flooding does develop.