Haiti and Dominican Republic bracing for impact from Tropical Storm Franklin

The populations of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, which both share the island of Hispaniola, are being warned to brace for heavy rainfall and possible landslides as Tropical Storm Franklin continues to make its way toward the island.

One of five storm systems currently in the Atlantic, Franklin is expected to begin taking aim as early as Monday night for some.

Late Sunday, authorities in the Dominican Republic’s Operations Emergency Center announced that the country would start feeling the effects of Franklin as early as Monday night when it is just south of the island of Hispaniola in the waters of the Caribbean Sea. While 16 provinces remain on green alert, meaning they are still in the clear for now, 16 others have been placed on yellow alerts for for possible flooding of rivers, streams and ravines, as well as floods, due to the tropical storm. Yellow means the populations in those areas face anywhere from a weak to moderate intensity of threats as the system passes.

Franklin had a maximum sustained winds of 50 mph as of Sunday night. A tropical storm watch has been issued for the eastern and northern coast of the Dominican Republic. Franklin formed in the eastern Caribbean shortly after Tropical Storm Emily, which is not expected to stay around long.

A tropical depression, Gert, formed around 5 p.m. Saturday and then became the eighth named tropical storm of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, forming east of the Leeward Islands on Monday. However, there are no watches or warning and it is not expected to be around long.

In both the Dominican Republic and in Haiti, people are being warned to refrain from crossing rivers, streams or mountains, and to avoid bathing in rivers in the provinces under alert.

Haiti’s Office of Civil Protection, which is tasked with preparing and responding to disasters, has also issued yellow alerts. It warns that heavy downpours, spontaneous gusts of wind and heavy sea conditions are expected to appear on the southern peninsula of the country starting Tuesday evening. Franklin’s center is expected to cross Haiti starting on Wednesday, and impacting the entire country.

While both the Dominican Republic and Haiti are at risk for landslides during heavy downpours, the latter is looking at an even more complicated reality.

In addition to the environmental degradation throughout Haiti, emergency personnel with both the Haitian government and United Nations have the challenge of escalating gang violence, which has made it difficult to get aid from one region to another due to armed groups controlling major roads in and out of the capital.

The increase in violence not only forced some aid groups last week to temporarily close their doors, but it added to the homeless rolls as Haitians, escaping the rampage, fled to school yards, public plazas and a gymnasium for refuge. Thousands are sleeping outdoors, exposed to the elements.

Haiti’s Office of Civil Protection estimates there are about 7,000 in the Port-au-Prince area who are currently living in open spaces like public plazas after recently being forced to abandoned their homes by extreme gang violence, and another 3,000 to 4,000 in the Artibonite Valley region just to the north. It is also estimated that there is at least twice the number also living in host families.

Both the U.N. secretary-general and Haitian government have asked for outside help to help the Haiti National Police combat gangs. On Sunday, a security task force with the Kenyan government arrived in Port-au-Prince, accompanied by the U.S., to meet with the government, the police and the U.N.’s political office. Kenya said last month it is considering leading a multinational force into Haiti and deploying 1,000 of its police officers to help train and assist Haiti’s national police.