Hurricane Tomas Passes Haiti

Greetings from Haiti. Many have been tracking Hurricane Tomas on the news and have e-mailed us wondering how we are doing. Here's an update: Hurricane Tomas has just passed near/over the western extremity of Haiti ’s southern peninsula as a Category 1 hurricane according to the NOAA Hurricane Center . The track of Tomas, which is farther west than anticipated a few days ago, is a blessing for the two million inhabitants of Port-au-Prince (many of whom are living under tents and tarps since the earthquake) . In Port-au-Prince , the winds have not exceeded gusts of 25-30 mph and at times are even calm. We have had moderate to light rain since last night (so far 2-3 inches of accumulation—about as much as we get from a single strong thunderstorm this time of year). The airlines have canceled flights into Port-au-Prince today (Friday) and all businesses and schools are closed. The word is that banks and other businesses in Port-au-Prince will be open tomorrow (Saturday). It is impossible for us to know how Tomas is affecting areas west of Port-au-Prince. It is safe to say, however, that there will be significant wind damage and flooding.