This weekend, a heavy rainstorm in the Dominican Republic caused the deaths of at least 21 people and forced thousands to evacuate their homes, officials reported. The toll included three children and nine individuals who died in a landslide after the wall of a highway tunnel in Santo Domingo collapsed due to heavy rain.

According to the Emergency Operations Center (COE), the downpour also led to flooded homes, power outages, and damage to bridges and roads. President Luis Abinader declared it “the biggest rain event in the country’s history” and suspended classes in schools until Wednesday for students’ and teachers’ safety. The US embassy stated that the tropical cyclone-induced precipitation would continue in certain parts of the nation on Monday. Most of the 32 provinces in the country are still under red and yellow weather alerts.

The AFP news agency confirmed that among the deceased were four American citizens and three from neighboring Haiti.