Tropical Storm Brings Floods, Mudslides; at Least 20 Killed

Oct 30, 06:50 AM

Current Headlines: By RAMON ALMANZAR

By Ramon Almanzar

The Associated Press

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic

Tropical Storm Noel lashed the Dominican Republic with heavy rains Monday, causing flooding and mudslides that killed at least 20 people and left another 20 missing, officials said.

Noel was expected to dump as much as 20 inches of rain on the Dominican Republic and Haiti, which share the island of Hispaniola, as it heads northwest toward the Bahamas.

The storm was expected to veer away from the United States, but forecasters said a tropical storm watch, which means that tropical storm conditions are possible within 36 hours, might be issued for southeast Florida.

The spinning tropical storm had been forecast to hit Haiti hardest but veered toward the Dominican Republic, apparently catching residents off guard.

Noel temporarily knocked out the Dominican Republic's entire power system early Monday, plunging 9.4 million people into the dark for about two hours, said Radhames Segura, vice president of the state-owned electric company.

Some buildings tumbled down hillsides near the Dominican capital and a cell phone tower slammed to the ground in the southwestern province of Barahona. At least 10 people went missing when the Maimon River overflowed its banks and sent a torrent of muddy water rushing through the town of Piedra Blanca.

Manuel Antonio Luna Paulino, president of the Dominican Republic's National Emergency Commission, said at least 20 people had died and another 20 were reported missing.

(c) 2007 Virginian - Pilot. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.