Tropical Storm Laura Leaves At Least 9 Dead In Dominican Republic, Haiti
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – More than a million people are without electricity in the Dominican Republic after Tropical Storm Laura battered the Caribbean nation on Saturday leaving at least three people dead in Santo Domingo, according to the country's Center of Emergency Operations.
The victims in the capital include a 7-year-old boy who died with his mother after a wall collapsed in their home and a third person who died after a tree fell on a house.
The Dominican Republic's President Luis Abinader said Sunday that an army corporal was killed while helping with rescue efforts in Pedernales province.
Laura dumped heavy rain over the Dominican Republic. One of the worst affected areas in the country is Azua Compostela, where residents waded through waist-deep waters to salvage whatever belongings they could from homes. Thousands of people were forced to evacuate and homes collapsed along the Isabela River, authorities said.
Some people who didn't evacuated became trapped by rising flood waters and were rescued by volunteers in small dinghy's.
Another five people were killed in Haiti, according the country's Civil Protection, including a 10-year-old girl.
The storm left behind severe flooding, damaged power lines and downed trees.
Tropical Storm Marco is expected to make landfall in Louisiana on Monday.
