Waves crashing over seafronts, hazardous 160-kilometre-an-hour winds and people scrambling for shelter from storm surges. During the second half of 2017, the Caribbean has been battered on all sides by extreme weather. Hurricane Irma – which ranked as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record – swiftly followed by José and Maria, wreaked havoc on the region, underlying the vulnerabilities tropical weather poses to Caribbean economies.
By a combination of sheer luck and improvements to the country's infrastructure, the Dominican Republic is weathering the regional crisis.
