Island looks to be in for a rainy weekend
By The Star Staff
Bureau of Emergency Management and Disaster Administration (NMEAD by its Spanish acronym) Commissioner Nino Correa Filomeno said Thursday that the National Meteorological Service (NMS) is projecting rainy weather conditions for Puerto Rico over the weekend and that maritime conditions will deteriorate due to the passage of a low pressure system associated with an almost stationary trough over the region.
“This is not the time to visit beaches, rivers, lakes, or other bodies of water. This weekend we don’t want anyone in the water,” Correa Filomeno said. “The NMS alerted us of a system causing rains, mostly intermittent but copious. The current forecast is that three to six inches of rain could fall until Monday, which could affect the entire island.”
“Our greatest concern is that our soils are extremely saturated after the rains recorded in September, plus the downpours caused by hurricane Fiona and the rain of the last few days,” the NMEAD commissioner said. “This can cause rivers to run out of their channels faster, and we are more prone to landslides, mudslides, and floods. We need citizens to be alert, not to cross flooded roads, and if they live in flood zones, to consider moving out of the area with time to spare. We cannot let our guard down. The hurricane season ends on November 30.”
Public Safety (DPS) Secretary Alexis Torres and Correa Filomeno reminded the public that the DPS and NMEAD operational zones have been activated to respond to any eventuality. NMEAD maintains constant communication with the emergency management offices of all municipalities, the Coast Guard, and the municipal police.
For more information, citizens can visit manejodeemergencias.pr.gov. To report any emergency, call or send a text message to 9-1-1 to request assistance from the corresponding agencies.