Haiti And The Dominican Republic Prepare For Emily's Nasty Weather
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (CBS)—Now that Tropical Storm Emily has breezed by Puerto Rico, many families in South Florida are waiting anxiously to see how Haiti and the Dominican Republic will fare as the storm closes in on them.
The storm passed through Puerto Rico uneventfully, with only a few gusts and showers hitting the island. Almost 400 schools were reserved as emergency shelters but none had to be used.
Stormy conditions hit Haiti early Wednesday afternoon and were expected to continue throughout the night.
Just a few months ago, in June, mud-slides and floods caused by a storm killed at least 28 people in Haiti.
As Emily moves in, the more than 630,000 Haitians that are still homeless from last year's earthquake can only hope that they will be spared.
"For now, God is the only savior for me," said Jislaine Jean-Juliene, a 37 year old street merchant who has been living in a tent since the quake displaced her. "I would go some place else if I could but I have no place else to go,"
To prepare for the storm, Haitian authorities have a fleet of 22 buses ready to evacuate people from flooded areas. Also, Haitian and foreign agencies have sent out text messages to warn citizens of the approaching storms.
"We're working day and night to be able to respond quickly in case we have any disasters," said Marie Alta Jean-Baptiste, director of Haiti's Civil Protection Agency.
Meanwhile in the Dominican Republic, hotels and restaurants in the tourist district stored away tables, chairs, umbrellas and anything else that could get blown away.
Capt. Frank Castillo, dock master of the Marina Casa de Campo in the southeastern tourist city of La Romana, and his crew helped boat owners secure their vessels in slips or pull them ashore.
Michel Davison of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said parts of the Dominican Republic could see up to 20 inches of rain over the next 36 hours. Up to 10 inches is expected in rural Haiti and up to 6 inches in the capital.
