hurricane - Haiti Observer Blog

When Hurricane Florence hit Carolina on Thursday, September 13, 2018, it was downgraded to a Category One hurricane, but as per CNN Meteorologist Jennifer Gray the momentum of the storm and flooding was almost equal to a Category Four. On the morning of Friday, September 14, the hurricane made landfall as a Category One hurricane over Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, a few miles east of Wilmington and not far from the South Carolina border. The hurricane came ashore with 90-mph winds and punishing storm surge.

A rush of ocean water invaded the streets on the southern end of North Carolina's Hatteras Island on Thursday. The span of the Hurricane-force winds was out for 80 miles and the tropical-storm-force winds reach 195 miles out from the center. The storm's first casualties, which included a mother and her baby were killed when a tree fell on their brick house in Wilmington, North Carolina. The child's father was taken to a hospital. Till today, the death toll from Hurricane Florence has risen to 51-- the last victim was a man, 69, died when he fell from a roof in Pender County on Sept. 22 while cleaning debris.

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Li ape vini ak lapli ak loraj nan North an Ayiti. Pou jou sa yo (Desanm 1 a 3) Siklòn Joaquin pral vizite Ayiti. Ou ka espere tanzantan lapli ak loraj, espesyalman nan Nò, Nòdès, Nòdwès, Latibonit lan, Centre ak Grand Anse. Siklòn Joaquin kapab fè inondasyon, glisman teren ak glisman tè, slon Centre Nasyonal Meteyorolojik Ayiti.

English:

Hurricane Joaquin to dump rain with thunderstorms in North of Haiti

For the following days (December 1 to 3) Hurricane Joaquin will be visiting Haiti. You can expect Intermittent rain and scattered thunderstorms, specially in the North, Northeast, Northwest, Artibonite, Centre and Grand Anse.

Hurricane Joaquin can cause flooding, landslides and landslide, according to the National Meteorological Centre of Haiti.

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The Global Climate Risk Index (GCRI) rated Haiti as the number one country most affected by natural disasters in 2012. The Philippines and Pakistan followed at two and three. Haiti's worst devastation in 2012 was caused by Hurricane Sandy, which hit U.S. shores in the northernmost eastern seaboard states.

Research and advocacy organization, Germanwatch, reports emerging nations make up the majority of nations on the index. But more prosperous nations are inching up the index as well. The U.S., the wealthiest nation in the world, ranked 12th for extreme weather events in 2012. For Russia, who ranked ninth on the index, the rating seems not to have affected either their domestic or international climate policy. Russia's laxness in social policymaking extends to human rights also: it is against gay marriage.

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Against the wishes of many, Haiti, led by then president René Préval, began dealings with Cuba and Fidel Castro. As part of a trilateral cooperate between the two countries and Venezuela, Castro facilitated an aid package to Haiti that would include oil and energy solutions, medical and disaster support, education, etc.

During Préval's first turn as president, after the September 1998 hurricane Georges had ravaged the country and left a cholera outbreak, 500 Cuban doctors were sent to give aid. Described by Préval as second only to God in their healing abilities, the gift was looked on suspiciously by others claiming the intention was to either steal jobs or spread the 'communist influence'. Following Rene Preval's personal experience of the Cuban health system and a second visit of the doctors in the wake of 2010's cholera outbreak, Préval awarded the Cuban Medical Brigade, and by extension Castro, with the country's highest honor, the National Order of Honor and Merit in the grade of Grand Officer. Hundreds of thousands had been infected; the death toll nearly 5000, but the efforts of the Cuban doctors had saved the lives of over 73,000 Haitians.

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Perhaps you've seen them in their striking blue T-shirts, promoting what is fast becoming Haiti's telecommunications rocket into the future. When the Vietnamese Viettel acquired 60% of the former Haitian national telecommunication company TELECO, in April 2010, the focus for many was still on the shattering effects of the earthquake months before. But, as of September 7, 2011, the considerable leaps and bounds to the quality of Haitian technological life, facilitated by NATCOM, have been anywhere but the back of people's minds.

With rigorous promotion of a dynamic product, NATCOM has quickly improved the capacity of the country from 1 to 4 Gbps, bringing the average user from speeds of 2 to 3 Mbps into triple digit speeds. The further launch of their 3G mobile internet service has made reliable access to the internet available to all Haitians, regardless of terrain.

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Haiti is subject to catastrophic earthquakes, violent hurricanes, and deluges of rain on an intermittent basis.

The amount of damage done by these natural disasters adds up to hundreds of millions of dollars. While in the U.S., a significant number of the population carries disaster insurance, in Haiti its population of 10 million carries virtually none. Data collected shows only 0.3 percent insured against disaster occurrences. To address the financial loss the island experiences every time a natural disaster hits, two agencies have proposed solutions.

The International Finance Corporation, division of the World Bank, is launching a $1.96 million initiative to insure 70,000 small business owners without adequate disaster coverage. Without insurance, business owners can't pay their accounts, because losses have devoured whatever capital left. And a low credit rating disqualifies them for loans necessary to get their businesses operating again.

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Haiti is dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, which killed dozens of people and damaged crops in the country late last month. Reports said that more than 50 people died and others went missing when strong rains and winds wreaked havoc in the country, especially in the southern part. Heavy downpour continued for three days, causing widespread floods and road blockades. Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe said earlier that the entire South was submerged. In the southern city of Les Cayes, most neighborhoods were flooded and hundreds of people lost their homes.

Hurricane Sandy destroyed concrete homes and even tent camps, where about 370,000 people who were still affected by the 2010 earthquake, were taking refuge. Crops were also damaged, with the production of bananas and breadfruit, which are main staples in the country, hampered.

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Disasters are a valid reason for cancelling your flight. However, not every airline is willing to give you a full refund. Sometimes, airlines only give back a certain amount or a voucher for future use. This is why it would be better if you know some tips on cancelling flights during a disaster.

One thing to be aware of is buying tickets from third-party discounters. There are several third-party discount agencies that sell more affordable airline tickets. However, they are also unlikely to give refunds should you decide to cancel your flight. Your option when it comes to this is to buy tickets with a cancellation policy or to pay additional charge to avail of such a policy.

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Storms not only can cause flooding but can also cut off electricity and down power lines. When this happens, it can be very dangerous for people as they can be electrified and injured. This is the reason why it is necessary for anyone to know what to do when there are downed power lines, especially during a storm or any other disasters.

It is best to consider any down power lines dangerous and energized. The best thing to do when you encounter a downed power line is to get away from it. Make sure that you have at least 10 feet of space between you and the power line, as electricity can be transmitted through the ground.

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Hurricane Sandy, an erratic and unpredictable tropic storm, roared through the Caribbean, lashing Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, and The Bahamas. Continuing on its horrifying path of destruction, it barreled across South Florida and up into the eastern seaboard. It is predicted it will clash with an artic air mass racing southward from Canada. Another winter-storm system moving east is expected to cross paths with Hurricane
Sandy as well.

The unofficial death toll from Hurricane Sandy soared to 21 by Thursday. Haiti sustained the second highest number of dead, nine, behind Cuba, who has reported eleven dead. Jamaica has reported one death.

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