SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Aug 23 - Many areas of Puerto Rico remained inaccessible Wednesday after a torrential rainstorm brought on by Hurricane Debby, as the system headed toward the neighboring Dominican Republic.

Island residents woke up to find their streets flooded and rivers overflowed as the showers fell throughout the early morning.

Many main roads in the municipalities of San Juan, Caguas, Bayamon and Carolina were closed because of flooding.

Several mudslides were reported in the mountainous central part of the island, according to local radio reports.

Ref: OCHA/GVA - 2000/0151
Hurricane "Debby"
The Caribbean
OCHA Geneva Situation Report No.3
22 August 2000

(Forecast by National Hurricane Center and Graphic by Naval Atlantic Meteorology and Oceanography Center )

http://kauai.nrlmry.navy.mil/sat-bin/tc_home
NOTE: 2212Z means the same as 22 August at 1200 GMT

On 21 August 2000, at 1100 hrs AST, the center of Tropical Storm Debby was located near latitude 15.7 north, longitude 57.3 west or about 280 miles (455 km) east of the Leeward Islands. Debby is moving toward the west near 22 mph (35 km/hr) and this motion is expected to continue for the next 24 hours. Maximum sustained winds are near 70 mph (110 km/hr) with higher gusts mainly to the north and east of the center.

In response to the threat Tropical Storm Debby, the CDERA Coordinating Unit has initiated contact with National