ANTO DOMINGO, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Dominican authorities Tuesday issued a green alert in the northern part of the country as Tropical Storm, known as Cyclone Hanna, approaches with risks of triggering floods and landslides.

    Hanna, category 1 on the 1-to-5 Scale of Saffir Simpson, is causing big waves along the northern coast of the Dominican Republic.

    It is also affecting Santo Domingo, the country's capital.

    The Emergency Operations Committee (COE) issued the preventative alert as the cyclone moves from Samana Bay, 120 km northeast of the capital to the province of Montecristi bordering Haiti.

    The green alert is the first level of the warning system, which also includes higher levels of yellow and red alerts.

    The COE did not rule out the possibility of floods and landslides, saying such natural disasters caused by deforestation will pose a major threat to the Dominican and Haitian people.

    The Dominican Republic was affected by Storm Fay in August and last week Hurricane Gustav ravaged Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Cuba, killing 89 people. Authorities have predicated arise in the death toll.

    Hanna is located in east Caribbean while experts are monitoring Ike, another storm which has put the Caribbean countries on alert.