Heavy rains and flooding in the Dominican Republic and Haiti have killed at least 19 people and displaced thousands more, according to the latest toll by officials and the Red Cross.Powerful storms that began April 7 have continued dumping rain on the neigboring Caribbean nations -- which share the island of Hispaniola -- with authorities staying vigilant despite ebbing intensity of rainfall in recent hours.
Haiti's civil protection agency on Tuesday reported 12 deaths across several departments. Dominican authorities on Wednesday put the death toll in the country at seven.
"Five bodies have been recovered," civil defense director Juan Salas told AFP, adding to two deaths confirmed last week.
Emergency officials said at least 30,500 people have been displaced and forced out of their homes in the Dominican Republic, where at least 6,500 homes have been damaged and dozens of communities have been cut off.
Torrential rains have led authorities to suspend classes and shorten working hours last week, with capital Santo Domingo suffering power cuts.
Local meteorologists have forecast more rain and hail in coming days.
