Sharjah24 – AFP: Hurricane Fiona slammed into the Dominican Republic on Monday after knocking out power and causing widespread flooding in Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi said the storm had caused "catastrophic" damage in the US island territory with some areas receiving more than 30 inches (76 centimeters) of rain.
Fiona made landfall on the eastern edge of the Dominican Republic early Monday packing maximum sustained winds of 90 miles per hour (144 kilometers per hour), the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.
"Life-threatening flash and urban flooding is likely for eastern portions of the Dominican Republic," it said.
The Dominican authorities did not provide any immediate updates on the toll from the storm but local press reports said some coastal towns in the east had experienced flooding with roads washed out.
Ahead of Fiona's arrival in the Dominican Republic, President Luis Abinader suspended work on Monday and the island placed 13 of its 32 provinces on red alert.
In Puerto Rico, Fiona caused landslides, blocked roads and toppled trees, power lines and bridges, Pierluisi said.
Most of Puerto Rico, an island of three million people, was without power, but electricity had been restored for about 100,000 customers on Monday, the governor said.
The hurricane has also left around 196,000 people without drinking water as a result of power outages and flooded rivers, officials said.
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