Hurricane Sandy

The last couple of days Haiti has suffered the effects of Hurricane Sandy. Jamaica got the worst of the storm and it is moving further away but we are receiving wind and rainbands from the storm. At noon today while I am posting these photos the rains are continuing.

Schools are closed here in Port-au-Prince. The Timothy Leadership seminars at the Christian Reformed Ministry Centre in the Tabarre area are still being held. We had 15 people spend the night in their guesthouse facilities.  We took a drive around the city after we had brought sandwiches to them for breakfast.

We were listening to the radio as we drove and people were calling in to the radio station to report on conditions in their area. One of the common requests was that people were hungry and wet. We drove behind this truck carrying cases of food from the World Food Program. Pray for those living in the camps. The people are wet and can't cook food during the rains.

Certain roads in the city were flooded. This section of road near the airport was one giant puddle.

Kimosabee rides nice and high and we didn't have problems. Small cars though had to move slowly through the large puddles on the road.

Rain, rain and more rain. Water is everywhere.

We bought new wiper blades yesterday after we found out that one was damaged. Luckily we saw a vendor at the Star 2000 grocery store and he sold us a pair at a great price. We didn't even have to negotiate for a better deal. His first offer was a fair one ($50H = $6.25US)

The Riviere Grise is full and raging.

An alarm is attached to the bridge. It will sound when the waters reach a danger point. There is a refuge camp nearby. They will have to monitor the progress of the rains.

If rains continue flooding becomes more and more a possibility

These houses are not far from the banks of the river. The raging river eats away at the sides of the banks. Hopefully these people will not see erosion.

Not many people were out in the rain. The radio was telling people to stay inside if they could and avoid traveling through the city. Wearing sandals is easier. These people were walking through a large puddle on the sidewalk.

We took a drive out to Croix des Missions to see how high the Grise River was in that area.

The river is full and causing flooding in areas by Rte 9 and the Marin area.

The river has jumped its banks and merges with shacks/houses along the side.

The bridge was open to pedestrians....

... and to vehicles.

Like during Tropical Storm Isaac this container is once around surrounded by the river water.

At the bridge people were fascinated watching the rushing waters. The Riviere Grise transformed itself from a trickle to a raging river during the last couple of days. Pray for Haiti. The rains are supposed to continue until Friday. Pray for other islands/countries as they deal with the effects of Hurricane Sandy.