Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s team has authorized U.S. diplomats to return from the Dominican Republic and Haiti in an attempt to escape the path of Hurricane Irma.
State Department officials announced the change late Tuesday night, alongside warnings against travel by U.S. citizens to the Dominican Republic or Haiti. The two countries share a Caribbean island between Puerto Rico and Cuba, but the Dominican Republic is expected to feel the effects of Irma more directly than Haiti.
“On September 5, the Department authorized the voluntary departure of U.S. government employees and their family members due to Hurricane Irma,” the State Department said in a bulletin late Tuesday evening.
The same message urged Americans ‘to carefully reconsider” their plans to visit the Dominican Republic. “This storm may bring significant rainfall and wind that may result in life-threating flooding, flash flooding, mudslides, and storm surge,” the department said. “Disruptions to travel and services are likely throughout the country, particularly in eastern and northern regions.”
The State Department issued the same call to Americans contemplating a Haiti trip, but that travel warning is suggests that Irma aggravates the general danger of traveling to the country.
“This storm may bring significant rainfall and wind that may result in life-threat[en]ing flooding, flash flooding, mudslides, and storm surge,” the Haiti bulletin said. “Rates of kidnapping, murder, and rape rose in 2016. While there is no indication that U. S. citizens are specifically targeted, kidnapping for ransom can affect anyone in Haiti, particularly long-term residents. Armed robberies and violent assaults reported by U.S. citizens have risen in recent years.”
The State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security issued a similar travel warning for the Dominican Republic on Monday. “U.S. citizens who wish to remain in place are advised to locate shelter, monitor media reports, and follow all official instructions,” the bureau’s Overseas Security Advisory Council said in an emergency message. “We strongly recommend that all U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in the Dominican Republic enroll in the Department of State’s secure on-line Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). STEP enrollment gives you the latest security updates and makes it easier for the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate to contact you in an emergency.”
