flood

Major flooding in Haiti as thousands of families are affected.

Since May 8, 2016, several departments of Haiti, including the North, North West, North East, Artibonite, West, Central and Grand Anse have received heavy rainfall. The prolonged torrential rains that lasted over 24 hours have caused flooding and extensive damages to buildings, transport and livestock. The report of a landslide was received from the Morne Puilboreau on the side that faces the Artibonite Department. The river 'La Quinte' and Blockhaus (St. Marc) in the Lower Artibonite and the drains of Ceinture Biénac were reported to be flooded. Over 215 houses in the city of Baradère were affected. Traffic on the National #2 was disturbed. The Ministry of the Interior and Territorial Communities gave warning of persistent bad weather which could result saturated soils, increasing the risk of flooding, landslides and mudslides. A depression on the eastern part of Cuba has influenced the bad weather condition in the whole of the Caribbean region. During the first week of May, Haiti and the Dominican Republic have almost erased the deficit of water caused by drought conditions since the beginning of 2015, with vast flooding that has killed four people in Haiti and five people in the Dominican Republic and displaced thousands of others.

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Here is a picture of a Haitian woman being carried as her house in the North of the country, specifically in Cap-Haitian, is flooded.

Following the recent rain in last February, at least six people died in the town of Borgne, and thousands of people were affected in Cap-Haitien in the north. In the Northern coast, the heavy and prolonged rain occurred between 9 to 11 February 2016. The cities like Port-de-Paix and Cap-Haïtien, were severely affected, over 200 homes were damaged forcing families to leave their home. There was prior red alert (highest level) from the Civil Defence about the heavy rain in North Haiti which could cause flooding and landslide. Following the instructions of then Prime Minister Evans Paul, the North Emergency Centre (CUN) has distributed food, mattresses, sheets and hygienic kits to the victims.

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Here is a picture of some homes under water as the community was swallowed by Lake Azuéi.

Lake Azuéi, the largest lake in Haiti, lies about 18 miles east of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince. Lake Azuéi (Lac Azuéi) is also known as Étang Saumâtre (mild saline pond). It is the second largest lake in Hispaniola, after Lake Enriquillo. The scientists are stunned by the constant rise of these two lakes, Lake Azuéi in Haiti and Lake Enriquillo in the Dominican Republic. These lakes are swallowing up lands that are home to 400,000 people. Lake Azuéi rose so much between 2004 and 2009 that it consumed dozens of square miles. A 2008 estimate reveals that Lake Azuéi had flooded around 6,000 acres (about 15,000 hectares) of agricultural land in Haiti, and that is a big loss to a fragile economy. In the last ten years, Lake Enriquillo rose over incredible 37 feet, doubling in size, destroying the surrounding fragile ecosystem and swallowing at least 40,000 acres of farmland. Experts from all over the world have traveled to study these two lakes, but they are clueless; could not draw any conclusion on the lakes' rise. Some want to attribute it to the climate changes, or pollution, however, this proposition is counterintuitive, because as per the established scientific theories, ocean level rises with climate changes, but lakes always tend to shrink. Some of the common causes cited by the experts which could be responsible for the water level rise include deforestation, saturation of the soil or buildup of waste and sediment in the channels that are blocking the water outlets.

Some of the scientists feel that the 'Yaque Del Sur River' could be held responsible for the rise. More dams should have been built to control the flooding of agricultural canals, responsible for channeling water to the lakes. The Haitian government has no plan or rehabilitation package for the flood victims. Only a Florida-based Christian charity called 'Love a Child' provided few homes to the families who lost their houses to the Lake Azuéi whereas the Dominican government has built an entire town for the susceptible residents.

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What To Expect After A Flood In Haiti

Thousands of families in Haiti and the neighboring Dominican Republic have been displaced by flooding during a week long heavy rains and cluster of storms in the northern Caribbean. As per Haiti's Department of Civil Protection, near a dozen civilians have lost their lives, at least 6,000 families were flooded with the destruction of minimum 66 homes, a vast number of crops have been damaged, and many livestock were killed in Northern Haiti. Mudslides from the mountains have pushed many houses to no where. Since most of the disaster has gone unnoticed on the international scene, very few aid groups have come up to help. The Haitian Prime Minister has released US$741,718.50, as a fund for relief to Cap Haitien. Issues of food, water and shelter are now a much bigger problem than clothes and medicine. "For HAITI With Love", a Palm Harbor, Florida based organization is exhibiting the service of God's love--they are feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, healing the sick and providing shelter to the homeless.

Here is a list of thing that you can expect after a flood in Haiti:

Cholera

Homes flooded

Latrine overflow with feces everywhere

Mudslides, houses slipping off the mountain

Dead Animals representing a Health hazard

Vast number of crops damaged and livestock killed

Since people cook on charcoal, they are unable to cook

Watch out for animals that might have entered with the floodwaters

Some people will be missing as they are taken by the running water

Old home become unstable as seating water ruining their foundation

Many survivors will be displaced without food, water, clothes, electricity

Water level still increasing after rain as it's draining from the mountains

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Here is the picture of a boat in the streets of Cap-Haitian following the flood in November, 2014

Cap-Haitien's downtown area was completely underwater, and the city's rivers and ravines overflowed their banks. The Cap-Haitien police patrolling the flood areas discovered many bodies of flood victims lying in the streets, including young children of only two or three years of age. In a heart-breaking discovery, an eight-member family lost four of its members to death. Three others went missing with the father recovering in hospital. Many more flood victims have yet to be confirmed because disaster conditions make it hard to navigate through the area.

Although the government of Haiti has responded with its resources, it cannot adequately meet the demands of all four departments that have sustained major damage from the swarm of storms that assaulted the North and West Departments, the North being the worst casualty, and Cap-Haitien the worst of all. Beon through the media implores ". . . the private sector to help us because it continues to rain."

Haiti and its neighbor, the Dominican Republic, survived a series of storms that rampaged across the island of Hispaniola, displacing thousands of people. The old colonial city of Cap-Haitien seemed to get the worst of it, according to Haiti's Civil Protection Agency, who reported an estimated 6,000 homes sustained flood damage, 66 of them completely ruined. Reports varied on the death toll, between five and seven dead, and one person missing. President Martelly and Prime Minister Lamothe performed their official duties, touring the disaster area while food and aid relief supplies were being handed out to flood survivors.

Residents in afflicted areas were anxious to retrieve whatever belongings they could from their water-swamped homes, wading through knee-high water. A reported 4,000 displaced survivors were sent to temporary shelters set up at unaffected schools nearby.

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Help is on the way to Cap-Haitian. Here is a picture of KANTIN MOBIL Ede Pep on top of a flat bed truck as it is heading to the city of Cap-Haïtien for flood relief.

How long can Haitian Government subsidize its Poor?

The Haitian government's National Social Assistance Program (NSAP) is working to give a helping hand to five million-plus Haitians by 2016.

Segments of the population in need include the handicapped, elderly, destitute mothers, students, and farmers. Remedies include cash transfers, farming kits, emergency coupons, solidarity baskets, and hot meals prepared in mobile kitchens.

The U.S. has funded NSAP for $76 million, and the Haitian government has already used $15 million of it. It needs more funding to keep the program going.

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Here is a picture showing the extent of the flood in Cap-Haitian. The city is not operational and the extent of the flood, according to some, has never been recorded before. Many people have not been able to conduct their day to day activities.

Cap-Haitien Mayor asks for Flood Relief Aid from Private Sector

A series of storms blasted northern Haiti recently. In Port-au-Prince three children perished when the wall of a home collapsed on them. Reports varied as to the death toll in Cap-Haitien from 5 to 16 deaths, among them 3 children. Four people drowned while trying to forge a river and one other person seemingly was electrocuted.

Wilborde Beon the mayor of Cap-Haitien told the media the city was a disaster zone with ". . . many dead and major damage. All the populous areas are flooded."

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Cap-Haitian is covered with water. Haiti Government Responds to Storm Devastation

A storm system pummeled Haiti where the North and West Departments in particular sustained major damage. At last count 8 people were reported dead, and 4,500 evacuated to shelters set up at local schools.

Communes of Cap-Haitien and Cabaret experienced flood conditions with some towns such as Blue Hills, Grand Riviere du Nord, Limonade, Limbé, and Bahon navigable only by boat. In Roi Henri, at Christophe University, the flood waters hampered students from getting to classes. Conditions in coastal areas have had the greatest impact economically with houses and gardens submerged beneath flood waters and livestock drowned.

In Cabaret the Government of Haiti under its National System of Risk Management and Disaster has distributed 4,000 hot meals, 1,000 food kits, and 200 cots. Equipment such as shovels and wheelbarrows, and water purification tablets are being handed out in the North Department.

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Here is a picture of several Homes in Cap-Haitian invaded with Water as a result of the flood

Cap-Haitien, which seems to have borne the brunt of the storms, completed a drainage basin project to protect the town and residents against severe storm activity that in the past has resulted in extreme land degradation.

The project:

• Rehabilitated ravines with wattling and bamboo barriers
• Safeguarded riverbanks with rock barriers
• Reforested with fruit tree saplings
• Gave local governments jurisdiction over drainage basins

An assessment of how the drainage basin project fared during the recent storms has yet to be completed, but it may reveal whatever flaws in the system need to be corrected for better protection against the next storm system.

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Here is a picture of cap-Haitian as it was flooded in November, 2014

Cap-Haitien Hard-Hit by Storm System

Farms suffered extensive damage from the storm. Agriculture officials have been out surveying the damage and its economic impact. So far an estimated damage report has not been submitted, according to the Civil Protection Agency in a statement to the media.

The government of Haiti has mobilized to respond to the crisis by generating its National System of Risk Management and Disaster. Not only in Cap-Haitien but in the entire North Department--which has been the hardest hit--officials have been distributing aid relief: food kits, hot meals, beds, sheets, water purification tablets, and more are going out. In all, four departments out of ten have suffered damage and population displacement

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