image by Luis Miguel Acevedo/IAD

Thousands of hot meals were distributed by Seventh-day Adventist soon after torrential rains flooded 31 communities in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic over a week ago.

February 27, 2010 - Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic...[Libna Stevens/IAD]

Torrential rains caused recent flooding in northern Dominican Republic, disrupting the lives of thousands in Puerto Plata and the surrounding areas. The Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Dominican Republic recently responded to the needs of the membership and communities affected by the flood waters.

"We had over 25,000 people affected in 31 neighborhoods," said Luis Miguel Acevedo, Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Dominican Republic director who visited the region the day after the flooding. According to Acevedo, about 700 families were affected by flooding to their homes, 25 of which were Adventist families.

"We have provided mattresses for the 100 most-affected families," he said.

Adventist Churches in the central district provided hot meals to the needy for a period of several days.

image by Luis Miguel Acevedo/IAD

"The rains left a lot of mud in many different areas," he said. "In some areas there was almost six feet of water. Our rainy season begins in the summertime, so this cycle is really unbalanced. Our concern is that if it continues to rain, it will affect these neighborhoods even more."