Hurricane Fiona made landfall in the Dominican Republic early Monday morning with violent winds, after leaving Puerto Rico without power and causing "catastrophic" damage.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that Fiona entered the Dominican Republic near Boca de Yuma, a town located in the east of the country that is 15 miles south-southwest of tourist Punta Cana.
The meteorological phenomenon has maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (150 km / h) and moves at 8 mph (13 km / h), as explained by the NHC on its Twitter social network account.
"The conditions of the hurricane extend through parts of the Dominican Republic," said the specialized center, based in Miami.
"Heavy rains and catastrophic flooding continue across much of Puerto Rico," he said.
In its 5:00 a.m. bulletin, the NHC warned that the Dominican Southwest, from Cabo Caucedo, near the international airport, to Cabo Francés Viejo, is under a hurricane warning.
The north coast, from Cabo Francés Viejo to Puerto Plata, is under a hurricane warning.
Weather forecasts indicate that Fiona will head towards Turks and Caicos on Tuesday, where a hurricane watch has already been activated.
The NHC had already warned that Fiona was headed for the Dominican Republic, after devastating Puerto Rico on Sunday.
The island, which has not yet forgotten the destruction caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017, suffered a general blackout when the power grid fell, leaving 1.4 million inhabitants in the dark.
The floods left a trail of destruction and caused landslides and the collapse of a major bridge, which had already collapsed in 2017. Dozens of flights were also canceled and roads closed.
[Five years after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico's electricity crisis and a new hurricane highlight old problems]
Governor Pedro Pierluisi called Fiona's damage "catastrophic".
In that sense, he announced that President Joe Biden declared a national emergency on the island.
On the other hand, Pierluisi called on Puerto Ricans not to leave their homes.
Only "essential employees" can go to work.
He also assured that shelters have been set up for people who require it.
The National Guard evicts a rural community in the face of the danger of the force of Hurricane Fiona
Sept.
19, 202201:45
The National Guard had to be mobilized on Sunday night to evacuate a rural community, which was threatened by the ravages of the hurricane.
Fiona arrived five years after Maria became one of the worst storms in years.
leaving more than 3,000 people dead.
Several residents of the island have denounced that after María they still experience state absence and a poor electrical energy system in charge of the Luma company that wreaks havoc on the health and lives of Puerto Ricans.