An Unwelcome Visit from Sandy

The pictures that we have seen coming out of New York and New Jersey have been evidence of the destructive power of the Hurricane Sandy.  Our prayers go out to all of those affected on the East Coast.  In fact, Zachary was to fly through the JFK airport on October 31st on his way to Amsterdam for consultation on his Ph.d. work at the Free University.  The flight was cancelled and rescheduled for Saturday.  Very little discussion has made the press in the US, Canada and Europe about Sandy's first victim, Haiti.  Sandy basically passed in between Jamaica and Haiti on October 24.  Although, Sandy didn't score a direct hit on Haiti, the storm brought an unprecedented amount of rain to Haiti.  In fact, it rained almost non-stop for three days straight throughout the entire country of Haiti.  On Oct. 24-25, 300 millimeters of rain fell in Port-au-Prince (12 inches) and probably another three inches fell on October 26.  This unbelievable amount of rain caused massive flooding, over 50 deaths, 300 homes destroyed and over 10,000 people made homeless.  The flooding hit the area of Jacmel (a city on the south coast of Haiti) especially hard.  The Jacmel River, normally a lazy stream easily crossible by truck turned into a raging torrent resembling the Mississippi at flood stage (see above).  The river and its tributaries spilled into Jacmel carried away trucks, cars, homes and people out to sea.  In Port-au-Prince, a number of the normally dry washes exploded out of their banks, flooding and cutting off sections of the city.  Many people in the municipality of Tabarre had to be evacuated in canoes and makeshift boats.  The town of Aquin in the southern coast of Haiti was completely isolated for four days as the main road was devoured by swollen rivers.  It is being claimed that in the southeastern area of Haiti, seventy percent of harvest was destroyed by Sandy's torrential rains.  The destruction comes after eight months of severe drought.  In the end, we realize that like the wise man who built his house on the rock, only our obedience to and trust in God can keep us solidly planted in times of natural disaster.  When you pray for the people of New Jersey and New York, don't forget to pray for the people of Haiti as well. Since Sandy's destruction in Haiti was not reported in the press, there will likely be no appeal for relief funds from international relief organizations and no opportunity to give to this need in Haiti.