Wednesday, October 31, 2012

DAD'S VISIT - PART 2


It was great to spend some time with Rick and Dad, and great to see some things get fixed! The door to my room was getting hard to shut. With another handle/lock and some WD-40 it was good as new again!


Kimosabee is starting to show his age. The engine cover plate needed to be tightened.


Dad and Rick treated us to pizza at Domino's. Dominos is expensive and we can't afford to eat there. Thanks Dad and Rick for the delicious pizza!


We also had a meal at Epi D'or one evening. Epi D'or is Haiti's version of McDonalds. Food there is reasonably priced.


We could use some more room for the school shelter and the shower water always makes the back area wet.


Rick suggested that we think of moving the shower facility to near the dormitory.


I thought it was a great idea and we got right to work planning for the new shower area.


Pastor Pierre dug out the foundation area.


We ordered some sand, gravel and cement and the guys got to work.


With the older guys helping the pouring of the floor went faster.


First step was to lay down the foundations.


The weather was hot with the days leading up to the passinge of Hurricane Sandy. Eryl is taking a break with his shovel :)


The drainage pipe will connect to the other pipe and lead out to the street.


Calwens was interested watching the guys at work.


The youngest helper was Dieubon! Here he is getting ready to wheel away with the wheelbarrow.


William kept a watchful eye on everything and chipped in to help sometimes too.


All the floor pour was almost done the first day.


It is easy to obtain building materials. We live near the cement block factory.


We bought some sacs of Haitian cement.


Rick kept an eye on making sure the first layer of blocks were level.


Here he is checking out some measurements.


The picture looks smaller than the room is.


The new shower will be the same dimensions as the old one.


Dad and Amos are looking at some photos.


Dad was one of Ed's patients that week. Ed removed a cyst near Dad's eye. In Canada he would have had to pay $250 CDN. Here in Haiti it was free in exchange for helping out :)


Pastor Pierre is a hard worker and made quick progress.


The building spirit took hold of a couple of the youngest. Rockchy is trying to hammer a stick into the ground to build a small home :)


Ysmaille and his workers welded a new support for the tin roof in preparation for the removal of the shower wall.


T-Ben dug out a hole to place the support.


Metal supports will never rot or get eaten by termites. T-Ben and Johnny are helping to place the new support section.

ARTICLE - CHOLERA IN MANICHE - SOUTH HAITI

CHOLERA - 8 DEATHS IN 78 CASES RECORDED IN MANICHE (SOUTH) AFTER TROPICAL STORM SANDY
(Alterpresses) -

PORT-AU-PRINCE - "From October 24 (date of the first effects of Hurricane Sandy) to today [Monday, 29 October 2012], the clinic has received 78 people with cholera. Eight have already died", said Madeleine Chery, the nurse in charge of the dispensary Community Dori, communal section of Maniche (about 200 miles south of the capital Port-au-Prince) to Alterpresse.

The flooding of the Cavaillon River (another municipality in the south of the country), with the rains caused by Hurricane Sandy, have encouraged the spread of Vibrio cholerae in the communal section of Dori.

"As of  October 2012, the clinic has only one nurse for the entire population of Dori. We are left to ourselves with cholera, "says Ramón Gasma, coordinator of Tet Kole Ti Peyizan ayisyen (Union of small Haitian farmers of Maniche).

Faced with the increasing cases of cholera contamination, health authorities have sent  to the South from "Saturday and Sunday [27 and 28 October 2012] 5 new nurses to accompany the head of the clinic."

This administrative arrangement does not seem to reassure the interim executive agents of Maniche, Pierre Alexis Evens, expressing "dismay" faced "with the plight of the Dori Communal Section, which is cut off from the rest of the commune because of flooding of the Cavaillon River and the fury of the Ravine Blanche which traverses through the commune.

" With a population of about 15,000 inhabitants, Dori is located 8 km from the center of Maniche. The only clinic available to the communal section, does not even have a doctor.

"The clinic is not the most appropriate place to receive cholera victims, because it is close to a church and schools. Our first desire is that a cholera treatment center (CTC) installed for the peasants, and that a doctor is assigned to the clinic", hopes Alexis.

Meanwhile, several residents of the communal section have shown a "participatory heroism" by putting themselves into the flooding waters of the Cavaillon River to retrieve on the other side, drugs, iv fluids and other materials sent by the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP).

The MSPP vehicle, carrying medicines and equipment, could not cross the flooded Cavaillon River to bring relief to Maniche, according to testimony gathered by AlterPresse.

OCHA SITUATION REPORT #3

TROPICAL STORM SANDY SITUATION REPORT NO. 03 (as of 30/10/2012)

This report is produced by OCHA Haiti in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It covers the period from 28 to 30/10/2012.

HIGHLIGHTS:

- Red Alert lifted;

- Damage assessments by GoH and humanitarian partners ongoing and findings are still being tallied;

- Casualties: 54 dead; 21 missing; 20 injured;

- 1,500 people left in 15 hurricane shelters (nationwide);

- GoH actors and their national and international partners continue to assist the affected population;

- Considerable damage to agriculture, with potential negative impact on food security;

- Increase in the number of cholera cases in affected areas (Sud, Sud-est, Ouest)

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Although the assessment of the impact of TS Sandy remains partial, the storm has caused 54 deaths, all of them in the Ouest and Southern departments.

Up to 18,277 homes were flooded, damaged or destroyed. Evacuees are gradually returning to their homes throughout the country. This has freed most of the school premises used as emergency shelters, thus enabling classes to resume.

TS Sandy brought heavy rains which caused severe flooding in the Ouest department and southern peninsula. Water levels in most of the rivers continue to recede to normal levels, but several areas remain inaccessible due to damaged bridges.

The Government of Haiti (GoH) and its humanitarian partners continue to carry out joint multi-sectorial assessments, including reconnaissance flights in order to have a general profile of the situation. In the Ouest department, the situation on two axes: Tremblay to Ganthier (Fond Verrettes) and Thomazeau to Croix-des- Bouquets, is of great concern with up to 330 families still in need of various emergency stocks.The Rivière Grise which runs strait through the capital burst its banks in those areas of Port-au-Prince.

HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE:

CAMP COORDINATION AND CAMP MANAGEMENT

Many people were temporarily displaced by TS Sandy. However, uncertainty remains as to their exact number. Some 50,000 tents and tarpaulins are made available by humanitarian partners for distribution.

- Sud: Distribution of sleeping bags, mattresses, hygiene kits, blankets, food rations, water treatment supplies to those in shelters in Les Cayes by Haitian Red Cross, IOM, World Vision, and DINEPA.  Nippes: Families were evacuated from the areas at risk of flooding in 7 communes. All of them were provided with water and sanitation supplies and food.

- Grand-Anse: MDM (Médecins du Monde) distributed 100 hygiene kits. The Red Cross supplied 145 mattresses.

- Artibonite: 234 mattresses, 117 hygiene kits were distributed by IOM and ACTED, in Grande Saline.

EDUCATION:

The Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training and UN partners continue to assess the state of school buildings. An initial assessment of damage has been conducted:

- West Leogane: all public and private schools in the city were flooded.

- Grande-Anse: 10 schools sustained significant damage.

- Sud: 14 schools are affected. The extent of damage is being assessed. The situation delays the full resumption of classes this week.

Needs:

The Ministry of Education has appealed for tents to accommodate students, pending repairs.

In Nippes department, Handicap International is providing tents to the Ecole nationale mixte de l’Anse à Veau, l’Ecole nationale de Grand Fond and l’Ecole communautaire de Laval.

FOOD SECURITY

The situation in at least 60 of the 140 communes in Haiti is considered serious by international partners. The food insecurity rate could be reaching 50%. Up to 2 million people are thought to be at risk of malnutrition as per the latest estimates.

The southern part of the country that had suffered crop and livestock losses with the passage of TS Isaac in August, is now suffering the consequences of TS Sandy. So far, the response to the impact of TS Sandy has been as follows:

- Sud: WFP is providing 5 tons of foodstuff to victims of TS Sandy. 700 families received food kits and water.

Ouest: IOM distributed 2.7 tons of WFP-supplied High Energy Biscuits to 5,693 persons in temporary shelters in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area.

- Nippes: The Ministry of Social Affairs provided 200 women with food kits.

- Grand-Anse: 3 tons of High Energy Biscuits pre-positioned in Les Cayes.

- Artibonite: WFP distributed 0.69 tons of High Energy Biscuits to 1,723 persons in temporary shelters in Verettes, Grande Salines, Desdune and St. Michel de l’Attalaye.

- Venezuela has dispatched a ship and aircraft laden with food aid for Haiti

HEALTH

According to PAHO/WHO, there is an increase in cholera cases in the Sud (06 deaths) and Sud-est where 49 cases and 09 deaths were recorded. These cases were notified after the passage of the storm. The northern Departments were also hit by an increase in Cholera cases but they cannot yet be attributed to the passage of TS Sandy.

Cases of cholera in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area are being treated by PAHO/WHO and the Ministry of Public Health.

- Sud: Patients were evacuated from the Hopital HIC in Camp Perrin.

- Nippes: Two tents were donated to replace the CTC (Cholera Treatment Center) in Anse à Veau by Handicap International, while MSF is also treating cholera patients.

- Artibonite: Cholera treatment supplies were provided by the Ministry of Health.

WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE

- Ouest: 8 temporary shelters in metropolitan Port-au-Prince supplied with 18,000 gallons of potable water by DINEPA.

Nippes: 50,000 aquatabs, 50 buckets and 15 hygiene kits were distributed in temporary shelters in Baradères. Temporary shelters in Petite Rivière, Anse à Veau and O’rouk also received 100,000 aquatabs, 15 hygiene kits and 50 buckets.

- Sud-est: 13 drums (250kg each) of High Test Hypochlorite (HTH) were distributed for chlorination of the water system and 32 cubic metres of potable water supplied to 6 shelters. This assistance has been realized by DINEPA.

- Grande-Anse: 150kg of HTH supplied to private water distributors, for water treatment in temporary shelters.

- Artibonite: Potable water, jerry cans (2 per family) were provided by IOM/MINUSTAH/ACTED to the affected in Grande Salines. WFP distributed 7,350 aquatabs.

Once the road to Baradères has been reopened, Handicap International will install a water treatment station.

LOGISTICS

WFP and IFRCRC conducted assessments. IFRCRC carried out 03 reconnaissance flights in the affected areas. In Sud-est and Grande-Anse, the road from Cayes to Jeremie is still cut (serious damages) at Roseau. In Ouest department, the road from Croix des Bouquets to Fond Verettes remains cut at Ganthier.

The Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Communication and UN partners have been working to restore traffic on most major roads in the various affected departments. General Coordination The GoH’s departmental emergency coordination centers remain active. OCHA as well as other partners continue to assist the COUN in facilitating coordination and compilation of data.
For further information, please contact:

George Ngwa - Chief, Communication Section, gnwaanuongong@un.org

Widlyn Dornevil - Public Information Officer, nornevil@un.org

Guillaume Shneiter - Reporting Officer, shneiterg@un.org  

OCHA humanitarian bulletins are available at http://haiti.humanitarianresponse.info, www.nocha.org , www.reliefweb.int


ARTICLE - CHARITIES PREPARE TO HELP HAITI

AFTER 52 HURRICANE SANDY DEATHS, CHARITIES PREPARE TO HELP HAITI REBUILD
(Guardian.co.uk) - Paul Owen

Paul Owen talks to three charity workers in Port-au-Prince about the Haitian government's response to its third major disaster in two years

Haiti's government has learned important lessons about responding to natural disasters, say leading charities in the country, but there is still concern about how the Caribbean nation will cope with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

Haiti has been hardest hit by the disaster so far, with at least 52 people killed and more than 200,000 left homeless as the storm passed by the country at the end of last week before it went on to hit the north-eastern United States last night.

There are fears of severe food shortages due to rotting crops, as well as infrastructure problems after roads were flooded and homes destroyed. The country was still coming to terms with the effects of a major earthquake in 2010 and last year's Hurricane Isaac.

Prime minister Laurent Lamothe has said: "It should not be normal that every time it rains, we have a catastrophe throughout the country." The Guardian spoke to three NGO workers in Haiti about the effects of the storm and the nation's prospects of dealing with the crisis.

Prospery Raymond, country manager for Haiti for Christian Aid Prospery Raymond of Christian Aid

Raymond said the areas most seriously affected by Hurricane Sandy were in the south-east of the country, in the Grand'Anse and Nippes departments.

"There I think it is still quite wet. The rivers are going down. In general the departments have put down the [threat level]; it was red, now it is normal. They are trying to repair the roads and bridges that collapsed."

He said the most serious impact of the storm had been on agriculture - the loss of crops and livestock. Christian Aid was going out at the moment to see what the state and other organisations would not be able to provide, "and to provide what is missing". They would be helping repair houses, replace livestock and provide seeds.

Asked about the government's response, Raymond said:

"To be honest I think this time they did what they could, because they managed to put more than 20,000 people in temporary shelter, but in total you have 200,000 people that were affected by Sandy. That means there is a huge gap. We think we could provide some support to complement what they are doing."

Asked what the government could do differently, he focused on altering the environment to allow nature to better combat extreme weather events.

"Christian Aid [is pushing] the government to take the environment situation more seriously, because if the country had the right trees, the right forests in place, I think that could help. It's really important for them to prioritise this in their future budget, for example. The Ministry of Environment in Haiti has 0.65% of the budget. I don't think it is normal. As a priority sector they need to receive more in order to help Haiti have better cover in terms of trees, and that could help us with all these hurricane storms that will come in here."

Lisa Laumann, Save the Children's country director for Haiti

Laumann explained what happened when the storm arrived last week.

The eye of the storm didn't even hit the country. It went through Cuba, and we were at quite a distance from it. So when it came through it was still quite strong, although it was just a tropical storm. [It was] followed by days of intensive, intensive rain; that Thursday and Friday of last week were just … I've hardly seen so much rain in a long time.

"It really led to a lot of damage in the country. There's been a substantial amount of damage to roads, a substantial amount of flooding in agricultural areas raising serious concerns about crops, and then of course with the standing water and the flow of water the increased concern about diarrhoea and disease, particularly cholera."

But she was reasonably optimistic about the government's ability to deal with these issues.

"What we saw during tropical storm Isaac and I think in tropical storm Sandy as well is a government that is challenged by the recurrent disasters that hit the country but also a government that is increasingly able to deal with this type of disaster. By that I mean that the government has a national system for the management of risks and disaster, and in the last two crises that have hit the country it has taken the lead."

Organisations such as her own had "played a role in preparation and response", but increasingly they were working under government leadership. "I don't want to sound like I think the government has infinite capacity to respond … but I think it's important to recognise that the government does have increasing ability to coordinate and manage disaster preparedness and response here."

Why did so many people die, despite the eye of the storm not hitting Haiti directly?

"People die because they are in the wrong place at the wrong time or because the infrastructure is not such that it protects them from incidents that occur. I think if the road infrastructure was stronger in this country, if there were better flood control, fewer people would die in emergencies like these."

Laumann was speaking from a high-up area of Port-au-Prince, where there was no standing water, and children were out and off to school. "There certainly has been damage to some buildings, but it looks from here like a fairly normal day."

But in the camps for those made homeless by the storm "it's different":

" People lost their few assets that they had. They were flooded out … Life is much more challenging for them. It's hard when you lose most of your possessions or have them destroyed by a storm."

In the south of the country there was a lot of road damage, she said.

"The last damage map that I took a look at showed damage in pretty much every department of the southern part of the country, much worse than the north. When you think about the fact that Haiti is already a road-challenged country, that's going to make problems for people who need to move around and for people who need to respond. Bridges have been broken, sections of road have been washed out, there's some land sliding over some of the roads.

Kristie van de Wetering, programme director, Tearfund

Van de Wetering explained why the situation in Haiti was so serious.

"Hurricane Sandy has really tipped the scale of an already fragile situation. We had tremendous amounts of water, tremendous amounts of flooding, severe winds, and we're seeing those effects across the country, with damaged homes, flooded homes, people displaced, crops and gardens destroyed and lives lost: 52 lives were lost, and it's extremely heartbreaking."

She had just got off the phone to a friend whose colleague lost his entire family in a landslide that destroyed their home with his family inside.

Van de Wetering said that since the earthquake of 2010 and Hurricane Isaac this year Tearfund had been helping repair homes and "to address some of the agriculture and livelihood issues", especially in the rural mountains. "Now Hurricane Sandy has created even more need and to be sure this response will also be addressing the needs of some of those people who now find themselves in a very difficult situation."

And she explained why Sandy had caused food shortages:

"We can look at the context prior to both tropical storm Isaac and Hurricane Sandy with increasing food prices and food insecurity throughout the last several months. With tropical storm Isaac and now Sandy a lot of the crops have been destroyed. There are numerous crops that were ready for harvesting that have now been destroyed. Plantain trees and plantations ripped down, gardens flooded, and so in a country that primarily supports itself agriculturally, this is an extreme hit to the country."

There would now be an increase in food prices and "food insecurity", with families finding it more difficult to harvest or sell their crops, she said. This would make it more difficult for them to send their children to school or repair their homes. Flooding and damaged homes were an immediate problem, "but in the coming months we're going to be looking at a real severe food security situation".

She was less optimistic than Laumann that the government was well-prepared to deal with this disaster, coming as it does so soon after the 2010 earthquake and Isaac.

"The government has been active from the very beginning. The national disaster management system has been mobilised early on, and this is a nationwide system. And the government has also been meeting with international organisations to coordinate the response, and has also allocated an additional $800,000 for initial response actions, so they have been very present and very active, but the reality is that they're stretched in terms of capacity and in terms of ability to respond …

The capacity for the government to respond even prior to these storms was starting to diminish. Funding is drying up for cholera response. So, big concern. There'll need to be a national joint effort with all key stakeholders to respond and to respond swiftly."

ARTICLE - HAITI EMERGENCY AID PLEA

HURRICANE SANDY: HAITI IN EMERGENCY AID PLEA AS DISASTER PILES UPON DISASTER
(Guardian.co.uk) - By Jonathan Watts

Haiti reeling from impact of Hurricane Sandy, as latest disaster leaves 54 people dead and more than 200,000 homeless

Haiti and the United Nations are planning an appeal for emergency aid after Hurricane Sandy killed 54 people and devastated crops last week before going on to hit the United States.

With hundreds of thousands of people still living in tents after the earthquake in 2010, Haiti was hardest hit by the storm. The call for donations follows a 96% drop in financial support for UN humanitarian programmes over the past two years, despite the continued vulnerability of the western hemisphere's poorest country.

Sandy has worsened the threats posed by cholera and food shortages, say senior aid officials evaluating the damage from the latest disaster before a meeting this week to draw up an appeal.

"Haiti is trying to get its house in order, but each time disaster strikes, the progress is interrupted," said Johan Peleman, head of the UN's office for the co-ordination of humanitarian affairs. "This country is exposed to devastating consequences by each storm. With every burst of rain, entire mountains are washed away." He said humanitarian funding had fallen from $2bn (£1.2bn) in 2010 to just $75m this year.

Following a huge storm earlier this year, Haiti was only skimmed by Sandy's tail, but its dire infrastructure and high levels of deforestation magnified the damage and number of casualties.

The government raised the death toll to 54 on Tuesday with 20 still missing. Tens of thousands have been left homeless. In just four days, the south and south-west of Haiti was soaked by 50cm of rain, equivalent to almost an average year's worth in London.

Some victims were washed away when rivers burst their banks. Others died in accidents caused by the storm. One family of five – a mother and her four children – were crushed when the roof of their home collapsed in Grand-Goâve.

But the greatest loss of life may still be to come as the country struggles to cope with the accumulated impacts of earthquakes and hurricanes which have devastated housing and crops.

The deluge compounded more than a year of misery for the 370,000 refugees who have been living in temporary camps since 2010. The winds scattered thousands of tents and ripped through the tarpaulins of countless others. Video images show residents trying to sleep on sodden bedding and wading through muddy water on flooded pathways.

Oxfam and the International Federation of the Red Cross are distributing additional sanitation and water purification kits. The government and aid agencies are also preparing to provide food and seeds to try to offset the harvest-time loss of crops such as plantains, bananas, maize and sugar cane.

"It was a relatively small disaster, but it will have a big impact," said Amelie Gauthier, of Oxfam's office in Port-au-Prince. "These rains will have an impact for months to come. All it takes is the loss of one or two lemon trees and some families here will no longer be able to afford to send their children to school. As people lose more and more of their capital, the vulnerability increases with the accumulation of disasters."

The government has been praised for its response, but the series of disasters is taking its toll. "We have a lot of work ahead of us in terms of the aid that we will need to deliver in the days, weeks and months to come," prime minister Laurent Lamothe has said. "It won't be easy because there are many roads and bridges that have been cut off."

The government has warned the population that more extreme weather may be coming. "In November we may see more hurricanes. So if the government doesn't work hard to protect the people Haiti will know a very hard time by the end of this year," said a meteorological official quoted in a local newspaper.

ARTICLE - HAITI, JAMAICA REPORT LOSSES

HAITI, JAMAICA OFFICIALS REPORT LOSSES FROM SANDY
(AP) By  Evens Sanon

PORT-AU-PRINCE - Hurricane Sandy destroyed 70 percent of the crops in southern Haiti and caused widespread deaths of livestock, while in neighboring Jamaica it left at least $16.5 million worth of damage in its wake, officials in the Caribbean nations announced Tuesday.

Haitian Ministry of Agriculture official Jean Debalio Jean-Jacques said the government has not yet put a dollar figure on the losses. But as the top agriculture ministry official in Haiti's Southern Department, he said many poor farmers will have no food because of the hurricane's extensive damage.

Damaged crops include avocados, bread fruit, corn and some vetiver, a grass that produces a fragrant oil used in perfumes.

The eye of Hurricane Sandy passed west of Haiti the night of Oct. 24. But its rain-heavy outer bands dumped more than 20 inches of rain in 24 hours on the southern coastal town of Les Cayes and the surrounding countryside, causing rivers to overflow. Haiti has reported 52 deaths, the most of any Caribbean country by far. Officials reported flooding across the country, where roughly 370,000 people are still living in flimsy shelters as a result of the devastating 2010 earthquake.

In Jamaica, where Sandy's center made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane and killed one man, the economic toll of the storm was at least $16.5 million, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller announced Tuesday.

The preliminary assessment includes damage to livestock, peppers, coconuts, bananas, and the island's Blue Mountain coffee, one of the world's most valuable coffee brands. The country's tourist resorts were not badly impacted and Jamaica "remains open for business," Simpson Miller stressed.

Although teams were still assessing the damage left by Sandy, Simpson Miller told lawmakers in the island's Parliament that 71 houses have been found totally destroyed and 348 were severely damaged in eastern parishes raked by the hurricane.

Jamaica's prime minister said she is determined to fast-track legislation to revise building codes to prevent people from constructing houses in unsafe areas.

The island's recovery from Sandy comes as the heavily indebted country is trying to forge a new agreement with the International Monetary Fund. So far, Jamaica has had pledges of support for storm recovery from Germany, Japan, France, Trinidad & Tobago and the U.S. Agency for International Development, according to the prime minister.

"Even before the hurricane we faced serious economic challenges. This has been made worse by the passage of Hurricane Sandy," Simpson Miller said.

In Cuba, Sandy was the deadliest storm in seven years, killing 11 people and ripping rooftops from homes and toppling power lines. Much of the damage was in Santiago, the second-largest city. President Raul Castro, who toured hard-hit areas on Sunday, has warned of a long road to recovery.

Sandy also slammed the Bahamas, where two people were killed and numerous homes in Grand Bahama, Cat Island and Exuma were flooded by surge waters.

Associated Press writer David McFadden in Kingston, Jamaica, contributed to this story.

ARTICLE - HAITI STORM TOLL NOW 54

HAITI STORM DEATH TOLL TO 54; UP TO 71 FOR REGION
(Boston.com) - AP

PORT-AU-PRINCE - The death toll in the Caribbean from Hurricane Sandy rose on Wednesday and estimates of damage and destruction it caused grew larger as more complete assessments emerged from throughout the region.

Two new deaths were recorded in Haiti, bringing the total for the country to 54, said Marie Alta Jean-Baptiste, director of the country’s Civil Protection agency. That means the toll for the Caribbean as a whole is now 71.

Haitian authorities were able to revise the death toll as rivers recede, allowing officials to travel through the storm-drenched southern peninsula. The death toll had been 52. Jean-Baptiste said Wednesday that one of the new deaths occurred during a mudslide and the other was a person who drowned trying to cross a rain-swollen river. There are still 21 people unaccounted for after the storm.

Hurricane Sandy drenched the country’s south with more than 20 inches (500 millimeters) of rain in 24 hours. President Michel Martelly has declared a monthlong state of emergency.

In the Bahamas, the total cost of damage to private property and public infrastructure is expected to reach as high as $300 million, according to a report from the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility, a risk pool for 16 governments in the Caribbean.

That total would be higher than last year’s Hurricane Irene, which caused about $250 million in damage to the island chain east of Florida.

The damage estimates do not include tourism losses, which are expected to be significant in the case of Sandy. Minister of Tourism Obediah Wilchcombe has said the country experienced thousands of cancellations some resorts were forced to compensate people who were stranded by the storm.

In Cuba, the government raised the number of homes damaged by Hurricane Sandy from 130,000 to 200,000.

State phone company Etecsa reported that some 1,400 telephone poles were knocked down by the storm, which blew across eastern Cuba. Phones and electricity were gradually being restored with the help of workers brought in from other regions.

Monday, October 29, 2012

DAD'S VISIT


This sign that translated reads "Have a little patience. The airport is almost open" is what is in the parking area by the Toussaint Louverture Airport in Port-au-Prince.


Work is progressing at renovating the airport after the earthquake.


Rick Boer and my father came for a week to help out here at Coram Deo.


They came on the early morning flight and got started working right away. Kimosabee needed some repairs. The other week when we were lowering the spare tire to change a flat the back signal light wire got caught up on the chain and broke. It was an easy fix for Rick.


We are always running on empty because the gas level sensor wire has been chewed on by a rat. We fill up twice a week and ignore what shows on the dashboard when we drive. This fix is going to be more difficult and we are going to hold off on this repair. It looks like the fuel tank will need to be lowered to make the repair possible.


When the Angels to Haiti team was here a few weeks ago they brought along a horn system that they purchased from "Pimp My Ride". It plays a lot of different sounds from a duck to a cow and some songs too.


For this serious occasion of installing the horn system my father wore this comical t-shirt.


They got to work wiring the system to the battery.


This horn packs a lot of sound!


It comes with a mic too for emergency situations. My favorite sound on the new horn sound system is the theme from the Lone Ranger. Several years ago some people gave me a compliment and called me a Lone Ranger Missionary. It must be because I call my truck Kimosabee :)


Pastor Pierre worked on revising our drainage system from the showers to the street. We used SCH 40 4" pvc pipe this time for a more sturdier canal. He used a saw to cut the pipe in half along its length.


A couple of hours of cutting later.


He then got to connecting the pipe together.


To the left was the old drainage channel. Most of it had come loose and removed.


He dug the sides in order to form a cement canal....


... and cemented the channel in place.


We needed benches for the patients while they waited to enter the clinic room. Rick and Dad showed good teamwork in cutting this board.


We didn't have to buy any material as we recycled the wood from our bookshelves to make benches.


Here are the guys having a meeting to discuss how best to put the materials together :)


This rooster was intently watching the whole process. I think he was the supervisor :)


The first bench is almost done and will be used as a model for the rest of the benches.


The production line was going full speed! All the material was cut to specification ahead of time.


Here is the model! The benches are smaller and more portable. They will be set up around the front porch for the patients as they wait.


Once the benches were built it was time to stain them.


Rick applied a few coats of the dark oak varnish.


The benches are done and look great! 11 benches were built out of our recycled bookshelves :)


Another project was to build a table for the water station.


We still had a few pieces of wood left to make the table. Dad was supervisor to make sure that Rick didn't miss a spot :)


The water table looks great and is just the right side for the water thermos


Another use of the benches is to sit outside in front of the gate and watch people go by :) More photos tomorrow!