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- - - 2017 Hurricane Season - - -

- rain
  • By Reuben Spitz <reuben at haitianhealthfoundation.org>
  • Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2017 10:51:44 -0500
Been what appears to be abnormally rainy here the past couple of weeks. This may be fine for the crops and trees that were destroyed in Hurricane Matthew last year, but it is exacerbating road conditions and the general lack of development here. It certainly seems that the historical "rainy season" is a thing of the past, no doubt a consequence of the widespread disruption of weather patterns we have been witnessing in recent years.

- October 31
  • By Reuben Spitz <reuben at haitianhealthfoundation.org>
  • Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2017 08:30:08 -0400
All has been relatively quiet this past month. Things are still quite dry though we received a bit of rain last night. It will most likely take a considerable amount of rain to bring the country sufficiently away from drought status, at least in the Grand Anse region. Nonetheless, things have greened-up a lot since Hurricane Matthew last year, and the local crops are recovering. Periodic civil/political unrest prevails, as well as the pervasive level of poverty in every form.

- Grand Anse
  • By Reuben Spitz <reuben at haitianhealthfoundation.org>
  • Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2017 13:00:50 -0400
We are quite fortunate to have missed another major storm, as Maria appears to be tracking even further north than Irma. Hopefully, such will continue until the end of the season. 
Quite concerned for family and friends in St. Croix and Puerto Rico, however, as they may be in for a very bad time, soon.

- Irma, etc.
  • By Reuben Spitz <reuben at haitianhealthfoundation.org>
  • Date: Fri, 8 Sep 2017 21:08:29 -0400
Jeremie, Haiti

All is well in the Grand Anse at this time, meteorlogically.
It is, however, disappointing to see an organization soliciting donations on this information site. Having been on the ground through Matthew and witnessed the rampant waste of resources subsequent to that major disaster in the weeks and months following that hurricane, I find it appalling that a non-incident (for this region) such as Irma would be exploited to support another bureaucracy.
It was estimated that more than $80,000,000.00 was spent in the greater Jeremie area for Matthew relief. VERY little of this went to the local people and communities devastated by last October's hurricane. Most went to the offices, accommodations, car rentals, air flights, security, consulting fees and "logistics", among other costs, of those coming to "assist". Disasters are an industry today, and when the money allocated - whether from Washington or wherever - has dried up, those who came to help simply leave, off to find another desperate population.
I know what all the organizations that came and went actually did, and I never expected to see such "humanitarian" efforts to be so much the opposite of what they should have been. But as the most impoverished nation in the western hemisphere, Haiti is perfectly positioned for exploitation. 
Nonetheless, this is also one reason people are more suspicious than ever of donating to all the disaster organizations that quickly emerge when catastrophes such as Matthew, Harvey or Irma occur.
The benefit to the people in need is rarely a consideration - most are truly only in it for the money, and I challenge anyone to prove me wrong.



- Fwd: Thank You - Hurricane Irma Update
  • By Gert van Dijken <gert at vandijken.com>
  • Date: Fri, 8 Sep 2017 10:06:42 -0700


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Fonkoze USA <lcarter at fonkoze.org>
Date: Fri, Sep 8, 2017 at 8:58 AM
Subject: Thank You - Hurricane Irma Update
To: Gert Van Dijken <gert at stormcarib.com>


Dear Friend,

Thank you for your support during Hurricane Irma. So far, there has been some reporting of flooding in the north. We are relieved that it has moved past Haiti without causing the kind of devastation that Hurricane Matthew did last year on October 4, 2016.

As more updates from the field pour in, we will add them to our Hurricane Irma web page here and on our social media pages.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the people who are now in Irma's projected path, as it hovers over Cuba and heads straight for Florida.

With Hope in Solidarity,

Leigh Carter, Founder and Board Member Emerita
Fonkoze USA



- Haiti
  • By Laura Allan <alurafox at icloud.com>
  • Date: Fri, 08 Sep 2017 08:03:32 -0700
Hello all!
Jacmel received minor rain and has been fairly tranquil thank goodness!! 
However reports of flooding in and around Oulaminthe including bridge to the 
Dominican Republic was damaged. Minor flooding near Romeo and not so minor 
flooding in Ft Liberté. 
All in all we are fortunate that we escaped the damages of Irma!!
Our hearts go out to Barbuda and St Martin and the others!! 



- Fonkoze - Hurricane Irma
  • By Gert van Dijken <gert at vandijken.com>
  • Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2017 11:29:02 -0700


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sherry Todd-Green <stoddgreen at fonkoze.org>
Date: Thu, Sep 7, 2017 at 7:48 AM


Dear Gert,


As requested, here is the link to our Hurricane Irma page: fonkoze.org/hurricaneirma.html.  We will update it as much as possible throughout this situation.


Be safe,

Sherry


Sherry Todd-Green

Marketing & Communications Manager

Fonkoze USA

1718 Connecticut Ave, Ste 201

Washington, DC 20009

(202) 628-9033

fonkoze.org  |  Facebook  | Twitter  |  Instagram


1501097839399_Fonkoze_USA_Email.jpg


1501096977726_Four



--
Gert van Dijken
Caribbean Hurricane Network
http://stormcarib.com



- Re: Haiti, Grand Anse, Jeremie
  • By freedoreno <freedoreno at gmail.com>
  • Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2017 10:13:15 -0400
Dear all, 
here in the south we feel nothing now, but there are some reports on flooding in the north right now.
I keep you updated.

2017-09-06 20:04 GMT-04:00 freedoreno <freedoreno at gmail.com>:
Dear guys,
just before we will sleep a small update ,
here a link to our meteo expert     https://web.facebook.com/rudymrmeteo/?ref=br_rs
Until now all is fine and we feel nothing. But every body know what will be come . Im just 8 years in Haiti , but im so proud of all this peoples here how they manage all. I think we are on the positive side today. the storm are far and pass fast.But we will see tomorrow morning. Stay safe to all are before us. lavi pa fasil

2017-09-06 19:40 GMT-04:00 freedoreno <freedoreno at gmail.com>:
Dear all on the Islands,
so i will start now to report from Haiti. 
Until now all is calm and we are far away today. Even i am live in the south and we hope TS storm force its our maximum.
But if Irma move just a bit more down there will be a huge difference. 
 I am live in a area hey was highly affected by  Hurricane Matthew. This are the biggest problem for the population. There are to much houses are not safe until now.
The government try to do a good job about warnings and key messages and the population aware about the risk,but resources are missing to shelter people and help effectively.
I will come back to you guys from this beautiful island.
To all around, stay safe, 
Best Thomas
Facebook: Philippe Sosua
Skype: freedoreno  

2017-09-06 14:47 GMT-04:00 freedoreno <freedoreno at gmail.com>:
Dear all on the Islands,
so i will start now to report from Haiti. 
Until now all is calm and we are far away today. Even i am live in the south and we hope TS storm force its our maximum.
But if Irma move just a bit more down there will be a huge difference. 
 I am live in a area hey was highly affected by  Hurricane Matthew. This are the biggest problem for the population. There are to much houses are not safe until now.
The government try to do a good job about warnings and key messages and the population aware about the risk,but resources are missing to shelter people and help effectively.
I will come back to you guys from this beautiful island.
To all around, stay safe, 
Best Thomas
Facebook: Philippe Sosua
Skype: freedoreno  
   





- Re: Haiti, Grand Anse, Jeremie
  • By freedoreno <freedoreno at gmail.com>
  • Date: Wed, 6 Sep 2017 20:04:20 -0400
Dear guys,
just before we will sleep a small update ,
here a link to our meteo expert     https://web.facebook.com/rudymrmeteo/?ref=br_rs
Until now all is fine and we feel nothing. But every body know what will be come . Im just 8 years in Haiti , but im so proud of all this peoples here how they manage all. I think we are on the positive side today. the storm are far and pass fast.But we will see tomorrow morning. Stay safe to all are before us. lavi pa fasil




- Re: Haiti, Grand Anse, Jeremie
  • By freedoreno <freedoreno at gmail.com>
  • Date: Wed, 6 Sep 2017 19:40:40 -0400
Dear all on the Islands,
so i will start now to report from Haiti. 
Until now all is calm and we are far away today. Even i am live in the south and we hope TS storm force its our maximum.
But if Irma move just a bit more down there will be a huge difference. 
 I am live in a area hey was highly affected by  Hurricane Matthew. This are the biggest problem for the population. There are to much houses are not safe until now.
The government try to do a good job about warnings and key messages and the population aware about the risk,but resources are missing to shelter people and help effectively.
I will come back to you guys from this beautiful island.
To all around, stay safe, 
Best Thomas
Facebook: Philippe Sosua
Skype: freedoreno  

2017-09-06 14:47 GMT-04:00 freedoreno <freedoreno at gmail.com>:
Dear all on the Islands,
so i will start now to report from Haiti. 
Until now all is calm and we are far away today. Even i am live in the south and we hope TS storm force its our maximum.
But if Irma move just a bit more down there will be a huge difference. 
 I am live in a area hey was highly affected by  Hurricane Matthew. This are the biggest problem for the population. There are to much houses are not safe until now.
The government try to do a good job about warnings and key messages and the population aware about the risk,but resources are missing to shelter people and help effectively.
I will come back to you guys from this beautiful island.
To all around, stay safe, 
Best Thomas
Facebook: Philippe Sosua
Skype: freedoreno  
   



- Fwd: Update - Preparing for Hurricane Irma
  • By Gert van Dijken <gert at vandijken.com>
  • Date: Wed, 6 Sep 2017 15:42:05 -0700

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Fonkoze USA <lcarter at fonkoze.org>
Date: Wed, Sep 6, 2017 at 2:42 PM
Subject: Update - Preparing for Hurricane Irma


Dear Friend,

Fonkoze’s history of responding to natural disasters in Haiti has taught us that precautionary and preparedness measures can help mitigate the impact of crises. Accordingly, we have taken the following steps in the event that Hurricane Irma’s path includes Haiti.

  • Each of Fonkoze’s branch offices has a Crisis Committee in place prepared to coordinate Fonkoze’s response in its region. These committees will be communicating with all staff members as much as possible before, during, and after a crisis. Fonkoze’s top priority is the safety and security of our 800+ staff members throughout Haiti.
  • Safety information and instructions have been provided to staff members. A list of hurricane shelters has been distributed for Port-au-Prince.
  • All branch offices have emergency procedures in place. Branch managers are in regular communication with Fonkoze’s Port-au-Prince office—communication that will continue as long as lines are open.
  • Fonkoze branch offices will remain open through Thursday, contingent upon the evolving situation. All staff travel has been suspended. Management will continue to evaluate the situation to determine whether to close or partially close the head office in Port-au-Prince and/or any branch offices.
  • Senior staff in Port-au-Prince is in communication with governmental and non-governmental coordination bodies regarding the situation.
  • Fonkoze’s call center is contacting Center Chiefs (client leaders) to provide them with safety instructions.
  • Fonkoze’s health department has a stock of water purification tablets for 5,000 families and is already looking for opportunities to procure additional tablets as needed.
  • Fonkoze USA is monitoring the situation in coordination with our partners in Haiti and will be sure to keep our supporters informed. For the most up-to-date information, please visit our website here and follow us on social media: facebook, twitter, Instagram.

Fonkoze has been there for the people we serve throughout Haiti – on the ground, for nearly 23 years. We build clients’ capacity to help them prepare, endure, and ultimately recovery from disasters like Irma. We are here now for our clients, and will be there long after Irma moves on. Your ongoing support of our work makes this possible.

Thank you for continuing to stand, in solidarity, with us as we work to carry out our mission to empower Haitians to lift their families out of poverty.

With Hope in Solidarity,

Leigh Carter, Founder and Board Member Emerita
Fonkoze USA

|
1718 Connecticut Ave NW Ste. 201, Washington, DC 20009


- Haiti, Grand Anse, Jeremie
  • By freedoreno <freedoreno at gmail.com>
  • Date: Wed, 6 Sep 2017 14:47:10 -0400
Dear all on the Islands,
so i will start now to report from Haiti. 
Until now all is calm and we are far away today. Even i am live in the south and we hope TS storm force its our maximum.
But if Irma move just a bit more down there will be a huge difference. 
 I am live in a area hey was highly affected by  Hurricane Matthew. This are the biggest problem for the population. There are to much houses are not safe until now.
The government try to do a good job about warnings and key messages and the population aware about the risk,but resources are missing to shelter people and help effectively.
I will come back to you guys from this beautiful island.
To all around, stay safe, 
Best Thomas
Facebook: Philippe Sosua
Skype: freedoreno  
   


- Waiting
  • By Reuben Spitz <reuben at haitianhealthfoundation.org>
  • Date: Mon, 4 Sep 2017 07:30:09 -0400

Waiting for Irma in Jeremie, Haiti

Attachment: IMG_20170904_064510.jpg
Description: JPEG image


- Jeremie, Grand Anse, Haiti
  • By Reuben Spitz <reuben at haitianhealthfoundation.org>
  • Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2017 07:14:05 -0400
Heavy, stormy feeling to air here, rain over the past week - enough to interfere with energy production as we generate our own power (solar) entirely off-grid. While we may be a bit better prepared for another hurricane after Matthew last October, a similar event would be devastating to the region, still recovering from the last disaster. 
Unfortunately Haiti seems to go from one disaster recovery to the next, genuine stability and calm being forever elusive.

- Jeremie, Grand Anse, Haiti
  • By Reuben Spitz <reuben at haitianhealthfoundation.org>
  • Date: Sun, 20 Aug 2017 14:04:48 -0400
August 20

Things quiet - no effect from recent and ongoing systems in the region. We could certainly use some rain, so whoever can influence this would be praised for their efforts. Later this month and into October seem to be the times we will be more at risk here and hope for the sake of everyone in the region - still recovering from Hurricane Matthew - that there are no significant storms awaiting.

- update
  • By Reuben Spitz <reuben at haitianhealthfoundation.org>
  • Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2017 14:14:11 -0400
Jeremie, Grand Anse, Haiti

In general, the weather has been without significant incident over the past several months. Squalls develop, sometimes with intensity, but quickly die out. Damage from Hurricane Matthew remains visible still, but the landscape is recovering slowly. Rain continues to be insufficient and the area appears to be on the fringes of a drought, but that seems to have been the case for the past 4 years. While the area has not recovered to pre-Matthew status, it is best to note that that region was in desperate condition even before the hurricane. 

So, at this point in time we have severe poverty, chronic illness among most of the population, under-nourishment, lack of infrastructure (e.g., electrical, water, sanitation), 80%+ unemployment, approximate 40-50% illiteracy, lack of quality education, complete lack of appropriate medical care/medication (except for the Haitian Health Foundation, located in Jeremie), proliferation of guns and increasing crime, impending withdrawal of the UN Peacekeeping (sic) Mission (Minustah), impending reduction and/or elimination of all healthcare funding from the US (also a function of the morally bereft Trump administration), ongoing and historical interference in Haitian affairs on the part of the US government, corrupt US-based and international aid organizations who use scenarios such as this to fund their wasteful and ineffective bureaucracies, and pervasive social, political and economic corruption on the part of the Haitian government which is continuing to alienate the global community. In short, it is the opinion of this writer that the future of Haiti is growing more bleak each year.
 
But the sun is shining and the palm trees are swaying in the breeze!!

- Grand Anse
  • By freedoreno <freedoreno at gmail.com>
  • Date: Wed, 17 May 2017 22:04:15 -0400
Hi all,
the weather turned to be more bad today. Heavy rain  are there a long time. Some landslide are reported. The forecasts showing a MCS even with hail and a lot more rain. Please pray for us there. 
Thomas

- heavy rain
  • By freedoreno <freedoreno at gmail.com>
  • Date: Tue, 16 May 2017 13:22:59 -0400
Dear all friends,
last 2 weeks we got a lot of rain even heavy rain. Since this morning we are in a system bring us much more on the western part of the island. In Grand Anse  we get forecasts of 3 days heavy rain and some flooding again. Bad news for the peoples lives near the rivers and on Cayes. 
But we hope the best
Thomas

- January 10, 2017
  • By Reuben Spitz <reuben at haitianhealthfoundation.org>
  • Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2017 10:34:02 -0500

In this part of the Caribbean there is certainly something unusual going on meteorologically. Very stormy weather, gusts that likely exceed 50mph off and on for the past 48 hours, accompanied by periodic rain. Right now very overcast, with sun peeking through now and then. Whatever this system is, there should be some more definitive, public characterization, and I am hardly an authority (although my observation of professional meteorologists in the US is one of overpaid entertainers).


As with Hurricane Matthew, the local/regional population here have no more than a grassroots understanding and ability to determine what may be coming from the sky. And, unquestionably, these individuals need a break from such problems. The current conditions are causing widespread, albeit relatively minor, damage to a perpetually fragile infrastructure and once again unsettling people and preventing further recovery efforts from Matthew. Unfortunately, in addition to this, the inappropriate action on the part of the US to arrest the newly elected senator from this region of Haiti has further complicated much needed public health and community re-building activities that were in progress up until late last week. This incident caused widespread panic among the non-Haitian, US aid workers prompting a mass exodus of individuals here only for relief and recovery efforts. Now the Americans are gone and much needed work (distribution of medicine, food, building materials, healthcare, etc.) has ground to a halt.


On another note, one position I would like to throw out there is the idea that those in the weather forecasting community, on a global level, consider whether or not there is a moral/ethical responsibility to inform isolated, economically marginalized populations such as here in the Grand Anse region of Haiti, as to major weather threats coming their way. Relative to the dissemination of information and/or warnings to the local population, it is unlikely that the experience with Matthew will provoke any internal changes. And, of course, as the global environmental conditions become increasingly destabilized, we should anticipate more frequent and severe meteorological events. Furthermore, as those with the least resources will suffer the most, disasters such as we witnessed (first-hand) from Matthew will occur again – maybe within the next 12 months. In the US, silly and inaccurate weather forecasts rarely result in loss of life or significant material damage – yet the ability to forecast weather events, track storms and predict severity is a potentially vital type of knowledge that could (somehow) be shared with populations both vulnerable and without access to such knowledge. Thousands of people died and many more lost everything from Hurricane Matthew – some of this could have been prevented.


Just some thoughts.


- January 09, 2017
  • By Reuben Spitz <reuben at haitianhealthfoundation.org>
  • Date: Mon, 9 Jan 2017 08:49:17 -0500
Last night we experienced significant gusts of wind (40-50 mph) with intermittent rain. This morning is still overcast with some brightening.  Despite the clouds, we are getting 6kw from our solar system. Overall, the weather conditions in this part of the Grand Anse have been relatively dry, especially since the two months of rain following Hurricane Matthew. We are nonetheless hoping that there is not a return to the previous drought conditions that prevailed for nearly three years prior to the October Hurricane. More immediate problems are political in nature, which may manifest more negatively as the week progresses.



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