The weakening hurricane spared the island as it passed 27 miles (43km) to the north, causing moderate damage (houses and roofs, uprooted trees, power lines and outages, beach erosion) especially in Grande-Terre. The towns along the southern Antiguan coast line are most An unofficial wind observation from Antigua reported winds at 94mph with gusts to 116mph. Residents began stocking up on supplies by this time. In Dominican Republic the most active months for a cyclone are usually mid August through September. * BHR/OFDA Assistance to the region: [1] In the country, 100,000 were left homeless due to Hurricane Georges. sales will be used to advance the U.S. Embassy's long-term recovery plan. Most of the people who died in the storm were poor. The official hurricane season lasts from the start of June to the end of November but in Punta Cana August and September are the most likely months which will be affected by hurricanes. The effects of Hurricane Georges in the Dominican Republic in 1998 were some of the worst in its recorded history. to the agricultural sector. Lack of electricity greatly damaged the water system, resulting in the loss of water and sewer service for 75% of the island. a VIP delegation to the Dominican Republic and Haiti on September 30 to Rescue workers were also searching for 30 children who went missing at a school in Cambita, which is 30 miles (48km) from Santo Domingo. The mountain flooding drained off in the island's rivers, causing every river to overflow its banks. team arrived in St. Kitts and Nevis on September 22 and the other arrived The beaches of Aruba . [37], Upon making landfall, Hurricane Georges produced torrential rainfall, amounting to a maximum of 24.41inches (620mm) at Limonar in the province of Guantnamo. Diversity, About the Impact of Hurricane Georges (Intermediate), Help a community overseas and get your students interested in geography with open mapping, Planting the hills green with hope: Combating climate change and caste discrimination in Nepal, Freedom of Information Fiona, which is the Atlantic hurricane season's sixth named storm, was predicted to bring 5 to 10 inches of rain in eastern and southern Puerto Rico, with as much as 20 inches in isolated spots. [19] The extreme flooding caused great losses in the poultry industry, an important economy in the area. Statement, Office of Inspector St. Kitts and Nevis: There are the country. Up to 70% of the plantain crop, a chief food in the country's diet, was destroyed. It was a hugely emotional moment. Of those who left, most went to a relative's house in their own county. A picture taken on September 5 shows cars under the rain in Point- . In the event of a hurricane alert, the U.S. Embassy will post a notice on its web page at https://do.usembassy.gov/ . Updated travel information may also be obtained from the Department of State by calling 1-888-407-4747 or 1-202-501-4444. In Orange Beach, two condominiums were heavily damaged, one by fire and the other by high waves. The Dominican Republic had to import significant amounts of rice and other crops to compensate for the losses. [26] A total of 20 homes were destroyed and 50 others sustained damage. On September 22, 1998, Hurricane Georges hit the Dominican Republic. The local Afro-Caribbean culture is unique in this part . The capital city of Port-au-Prince was largely unharmed, with the exception of flooding in low-lying coastal areas, damaging the main commercial port. The total damage in the British Virgin Islands was valued at US$9.404million. out in-country training on the use of plastic sheeting. The island had to import significant amounts of rice and other crops to compensate for the losses from other countries. In addition, BHR/OFDA [8], Georges produced a storm surge of up to 10ft (3m) in the Florida Panhandle. Some parts of the country - especially in eastern provinces such as Altagracia - are still recovering from the devastation left behind by hurricane Fiona, which damaged hotels and countless other properties in late September. Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility, Connect With a [71], This article is about the Atlantic hurricane of 1998. affected by the destruction of the main pier and berthing platform in Bassterre While the tiny, square-mile Little Corn island was devastated by Hurricane Joan in 1988 and experienced damages from Hurricane Eta and Iota in 2020, the overall frequency of extremely severe hurricanes is comparatively low. Puerto Rican governor Pedro Rossell activated the island's National Guard, opened 416shelters, and enacted a temporary prohibition on alcohol sales. on its tourist industry for much of its national income, the economic effects five hurricane-related deaths in St. Kitts and Nevis. [6], Prior to making landfall, more than 200,000people were evacuated from coastal areas in eastern Cuba. Beach erosion occurred along the coastline, resulting in some property damage on beach houses. The U.S. Army also brought about one million blocks of ice and one million gallons of water, in order to compensate the effects of the loss of 95% of power across the island. After a severe drought in 1997, Georges's severe flooding stopped any chances of recovering quickly. the purchase of 100 plastic 500-gallon water tanks, 10 generators to power 120mph (193km/h) winds downed and uprooted trees across much of the country, littering streets with debris and mud. Isolated tornadoes were also predicted on September 22. food assistance to the Dominican Republic in response to damage sustained Mobile homes were damaged and/or overturned. For other storms of the same name, see, Hurricane Georges near peak intensity east of the, Chandelur Islands before (top) and after (bottom) Hurricane Georges, Impact on the U.S Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, Last edited on 24 February 2023, at 02:49, Meteorological history of Hurricane Georges, Effects of Hurricane Georges in the Lesser Antilles, Effects of Hurricane Georges in Puerto Rico, Effects of Hurricane Georges in the Dominican Republic, Effects of Hurricane Georges in Louisiana, Effects of Hurricane Georges in Mississippi, List of wettest tropical cyclones in the United States, Preliminary Report Hurricane Georges 15 September 01 October 1998 (updated September 2014), "How Hurricane Georges, 1998, affected Dominica", "Hurricane Georges pounds Caribbean islands", "FEMA operates In both response and recovery modes after hurricane Georges hits Puerto Rico and heads toward Florida", "Georges tears across Dominican Republic", "Hurricane Georges: A tale of two systems", "Hurricane Georges spares Florida for now", "Widespread South Florida evacuation urged", "Hurricane Georges Assessment: Review of Hurricane Evacuation Studies Utilization and Information Dissemination", "IMPACT OF HURRICANE GEORGES ON HEALTH SECTOR RESPONSE", "EM-DAT | the international disasters database", "Hurricane Vulnerability in Latin America and The Caribbean: Normalized Damage and Loss Potentials", Eastern Caribbean, Dominican Republic, Haiti Hurricane Georges Fact Sheet #9, Fiscal Year (FY) 1999, Caribbean Hurricane Georges Situation Report No. The entire country was without electricity during the aftermath of the storm, damaging water and communication systems. [8] A Dominican economist, Felix Calvo estimated that the storm did about $6 billion (1998 USD) in damage to the island. [1] Along the coast of Mississippi, more than 1,000 homes were flooded. A Hurricane Watch has been issued for the northern coast of the Dominican Republic from Cabo Frances Viejo westward to Puerto Plata. BHR/OFDA Assistance to the Dominican Republic: $2,061,817 of the destruction and damage to the housing stock. Punta Cana, as with the whole of the Dominican Republic, lies within the Caribbean hurricane belt. [7], Initial forecasts of a southeastern Florida landfall forced over 1.2million to evacuate, including much of the Florida Keys. Nearly 10 hours of continuous rainfall resulted in mudslides and overflown rivers across the mountainous country, damaging many cities along the southern coastline, including the capital. Of all Instead, like in Puerto Rico, Georges traversed the entire country, and passed close to Santo Domingo. . So we worked with AID (the U.S. Agency for International Development) and chartered a plane to drop food to people who were stranded. Following are some web links to help you monitor the latest weather conditions: It finally made landfall Aug . the supply of electricity and phone services, and has hampered the distribution Hurricane Georges making landfall in the Dominican Republic, Effects of Hurricane Georges in the Dominican Republic, Meteorological history of Hurricane Georges, Effects of Hurricane Georges in the Lesser Antilles, "Hurricane Georges strikes Dominican Republic; Haiti alert", "Hurricane Georges's Landfall in the Dominican Republic: Detailed Airborne Doppler Radar Imagery", "Personal Accounts of Damage in Dominican Republic", "Hurricane Georges sweeps Dominican Republic, 100 dead", "Caribbean's poor hardest hit by Hurricane Georges", "Georges Pummels Caribbean, Florida Keys, and U.S. Gulf Coast", "Caribbean: Hurricane Georges OFDA-05: Fact Sheet #5", "Caribbean: Hurricane Georges OFDA-07: Fact Sheet #7", "Caribbean: Hurricane Georges OFDA-09: Fact Sheet #9", "Dominican Republic-Hurricane George Emergency Recovery Project", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Effects_of_Hurricane_Georges_in_the_Dominican_Republic&oldid=1138132026, Articles with dead external links from October 2010, Articles with dead external links from September 2017, Articles with permanently dead external links, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 8 February 2023, at 05:04. The storm has curtailed Vulnerability reduction will be Corps Volunteer, Peace Maximum sustained winds at landfall are estimated to be 90 . Georges strengthened to a hurricane on September 17th and reached Category 4 intensity on September 19th. 7000 people evacuated to six shelters in the capital city of Santo Domingo. Neighboring Haiti expected the worst, opening shelters and evacuating vulnerable people from low-lying coastal areas. St. Kitts was the most affected. Critical shortages of food, water, and shelter have There was no major damage to the islands' medical buildings. 500,000 people were left injured. in the aftermath of the storm. In the Dominican Republic, Fiona made its second landfall with winds of about 90 mph, with damaging winds and flash floods. the USG is prepared to provide a total of $35 million in humanitarian and 60% of the bridges are damaged, hampering the ability of relief workers Substantial amounts of tobacco and sugar plantations, the country's most important export crop, were severely damaged. [11] Flooding and wind damage from Hurricane Georges caused major damage to the island's major airport in Santo Domingo. Dominican Tourism Association, only 5-10% of the country's tourism facilities delivery of relief supplies with local government officials, and carried 200 rolls of plastic sheeting, 1,000 five-gallon water jugs, and 5,000 of those supplies to the other affected islands. In Mississippi, rainfall as high as 25 inches was recorded. Georges killed 604people, mainly on the island of Hispaniola, caused extensive damage resulting at just under $10billion (1998 US dollars) in damages and leaving nearly neatly 500,000 homeless in St. Kitts and Nevis, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and Cuba. damage. Report date: Thu, 02 Mar 2023 03:54:16 GMT Source: NHC Atlantic More info and current maps.