Hurricane Irma

NOTE: We are updating this post as we get news about Hurricane Irma’s progress along Haiti’s north coast, and its aftermath.

September 8, 2017

Friday morning update: The hurricane appears to have passed Haiti farther north than originally predicted, sparing much of the country the devastating winds and flooding that so many of our Caribbean neighbors have experienced over the past few days. We have heard reports of flooding and some damage along the northern coast, and reports will surely trickle in from more remote communities over the course of the next few days. Our friends at Hope Health Action, which operates a hospital in the northern city of Cap Haitian, have been updating a live blog which is a great resource for news.

In Fond des Blancs our team reports rain overnight and continuing today, but all is quiet and safe. We are grateful that Haiti did not get a devastating direct hit from this poweful hurricane, and our hearts go out to the people of islands that did.

September 7, 2017

We are watching Hurricane Irma’s path with great concern for our neighbors in Haiti and across the Caribbean region. As of Thursday morning, September 7th, Irma is predicted to pass by the northern coast of Haiti in the next 24 hours, with its 185+mph winds and severe rain potentially threatening up to 3 million people.

The effects of this storm could be devastating, and while we are grateful that the Southern Peninsula is currently outside of the predicted reach of the storm’s major impacts, we are deeply concerned that the north will see the kinds of destruction and long term damage that we saw in the south last year during Hurricane Matthew.

Our team in Fond des Blancs has made the necessary preparations in case there are road washouts and other local damage from rain and wind associated with the storm. We appreciate your thoughts and well wishes, and our staff in Haiti knows that you are standing with them throughout hurricane season. We hope that Irma spares Haiti, but we also know that this will probably not be the last storm to threaten the Caribbean this year, and remain prepared and vigilant for whatever comes our way.

Stay tuned for additional updates as the hurricane progresses over the next few days.