Caribbean Storm's Toll at 38

The death toll from a violent storm that ripped through the Caribbean earlier this week has risen to 38 as flood waters recede and rescuers comb through the wreckage, the BBC reports. All but three of the deaths from Tropical Storm Olga were in the Dominican Republic, where tens of thousands are homeless and crops have been devastated. Survivors say the government performed miserably during the storm.

Nearly two dozen deaths in the Dominican Republic occurred after authorities, fearing a dam collapse, released billions of gallons of water into a northern river. Residents say they had no time to evacuate. "They must beg our forgiveness for what has happened," said a furious local. The UN is scrambling to get relief delivered. (More Caribbean stories.)