Hurricane Fiona strikes Dominican Republic after Puerto Rico, leaves 3 dead

Hurricane Fiona is heading north after hitting the Dominican Republic with torrential rains and strong wind and leaving the neighbouring Puerto Rico with a complete power outage, having killed at least three people, Reuters reported. 

It is the first hurricane to have made its way to the Dominican Republic after Hurricane Jeanne killed at least 24 people and left damage totalling $270 million in 2004.

Also Read | Tropical storm Fiona: All you need to know

Thus far, Fiona has caused severed floods, cutting off villages from supply routes. It has forced 12,5000 people from their homes and 709,000 without electricity, according to the Reuters report. 

President Luis Abinader has plans to declare emergencies in the provinces of La Altagracia, Hato Mayor and El Seibo. One person was killed by a tree Matancitas, a coastal town north of the capital of Santo Domingo, the Reuters report said, quoting an emergency official. 

Fiona has been classified as a Category 2 hurricane. Thus far, it has reached maximum speeds of up to 110 miles per hour (177 kmph). It is expected to turn into a Category 3 hurricane as it travels over the warm waters of Turks and Caicos, and was measured at about 80 miles (129 km) southeast of the Grand Turks Island, according to the National Hurricane Center  (NHC) based in Miami. 

Also Read | What is Fiona, tropical storm threatening Puerto Rico?

Peurto Rico, a territory of the United States has already issued a hurricane warning as the the NHC expects Fiona to pass near the archipelago. Storm conditions are expected in the Bahamas. 

Even though Maria has passed over Puerto Rico after making landfall on Sunday afternoon, it is still seeing strong winds, frequent lightening and heavy rain. Fiona comes five years after another storm, Hurricane Maria, passed over the archipelago, triggering the worst blackout in the history of the US.

On Monday, US President Joe Biden spoke with the governor of Puerto Rico Pedro Pierluisi, promising support to the island nation over the next few days, according to the Reuters report.