Residents of five Dominican provinces along the nation’s border with Haiti are operating under new public safety warnings this week, after national emergency officials activated a green alert in response to early hydrological risks of sudden water level surges across regional waterways.
The Emergency Operations Center, known locally by its Spanish acronym COE, rolled out the alert after the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INDRHI) issued a formal hydrological pre-alert. INDRHI’s notification highlighted the elevated probability of rapid increases in water volume and flow across the country’s rivers, smaller streams, and steep ravines, with the most pronounced risk concentrated in the border region shared with neighboring Haiti.
Officials have issued clear guidance to communities in the impacted provinces: Elías Piña, San Juan, Dajabón, Independencia, and Santiago Rodríguez. Residents are instructed to maintain constant vigilance over changing water levels, with special attention directed to 12 high-risk river basins that include the Los Baos, Macasia, Tocino, Dajabón, Guayubín, Maguaca, Chacuey, San Juan, Arroyo Loro, Jimaní, and Masacre water systems.
To prevent avoidable water-related accidents, the COE has urged locals to refrain from attempting to cross swollen rivers, streams, and ravines for the full duration of the active alert. The agency also added a warning against recreational use of rivers and public swimming areas, asking residents to prioritize personal safety until hydrological conditions return to stable, safe levels.