At least a dozen people died and many more were reported missing in the Dominican Republic on Monday after Tropical Storm Noel dumped torrential rain on the island of Hispaniola, cutting off communities and grounding flights..

The Dominican National Emergency Committee declared a red alert in six provinces and for the capital, Santo Domingo, as the 14th named storm of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season poured 10 to 20 inches of rain on the Caribbean country and over the treeless hillsides of neighboring Haiti.

In some areas downpours of up to 30 inches were possible, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

In Bonao, 55 miles north of Santo Domingo, at least five people were killed by floods while a few others were listed as missing, local officials said. The emergency committee reported another five deaths in San Jose de Ocoa, 83 miles from the capital, and local radio said two people died in the capital district.

 Source : Yahoo News