Floods in the Dominican Republic displace more than 20,000

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, Nov. 15 (UPI) -- More than 20,000 people have been displaced by floods in the Dominican Republic due to heavy rains that caused rivers to break their banks, emergency officials said.

"The director of the social plan of the presidency has deployed teams to supply food for affected families," the Dominican Republic's Center for Emergency Operations said in a statement.

Six northern provinces of the island nation's 31 provinces are under a red alert, the highest emergency warning level, due to the heavy rain and floodwaters.

The Dominican Republic's Metropolitan Bureau of Bus Services said it had 30 buses, two cranes and two trucks prepared to aid in evacuations.

Most people displaced have sheltered with friends and family. At least 50 homes have been destroyed and more than 4,000 homes have been damaged in flooding. Recent heavy rainfall caused rivers to break their banks.

"For tomorrow, another trough will be approaching the national territory, providing conditions to increase rainfall," the National Office of Meteorology of the Dominican Republic said in a statement.

Authorities evacuated 686 inmates from the Rafey prison in Santiago due to the danger posed to a nearby dam.