Santo Domingo, Safar 15, 1438, Nov 15, 2016, SPA -- Authorities in the Dominican Republic are evacuating thousands of people amid heavy rains that have caused widespread flooding and destroyed dozens of homes. According to AP, emergency operations coordinator Jose Manuel Mendez says 131 rural towns in the country's northern region have been cut off. He said Tuesday that 50 homes have been destroyed and another 62 severely damaged. At least 20,000 people already have been evacuated amid relentless rain that has pelted the area for the past two weeks. Among the evacuated are 700 inmates in Santiago, the country's second most prominent city. President Danilo Medina declared a national emergency in eight provinces. --SPA 21:55 LOCAL TIME 18:55 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w270193