# 5601
With the Atlantic Tropical Storm season now underway the islands of the Caribbean are entering a six-month rainy season that will likely last until November.
Scores of tropical waves come off the African coastline and march across the Atlantic between June and November, or low pressure areas form over the warm tropical waters, and most years a dozen or more spin up to become hurricanes or tropical storms.
Even without the damaging winds of full blown hurricanes, tropical rains can have a heavy impact – and no island is more at risk than Hispaniola, which is shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Aside from the yearly summer threats of localized flash floods and mudslides (due to rampant deforestation), Haiti and the Dominican Republic are both dealing with a cholera outbreak.
An outbreak that could easily be exacerbated by heavy rainfall.
With inadequate (often non-existent) water and sewage treatment capabilities on the island - heavy rains wash sewage from open pits, septic drain fields, and latrines into rivers - which are used for bathing and drinking water.
As bad as the outbreak of Cholera has been, it arguably might have been worse if it had not started in October - near the end of last year’s rainy season.
This morning’s 8am NHC tropical weather outlook has a persistent rain maker with a moderate potential for development nearly stationary south-west of Haiti.
Heavy rains, flash floods, and mudslides are forecast for portions of Haiti, The Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Southern Cuba.
Computer models are uncertain where this patch of disturbed weather will go, as steering winds are light and variable. Although it’s early in the season, this area will be watched for development.
Via Reliefweb, we’ve an OCHA humanitarian Bulletin – dated June 3rd – which covers the cholera situation, the aftermath of last year’s earthquake, tsunami & seismic threats, flooding, and other vulnerabilities in Haiti.
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
OVERVIEW
• Cholera alerts on the rise, including in Port-au-Prince
• Les Palmes and Nippes highly vulnerable to flooding
• Survival strategies of vulnerable households exhausted in some areas
• Specific needs of disabled and older IDPs overlooked
(EXCERPTS)
The number of weekly hospitalizations nationwide has increased from an average 1,700 to 2,600, reports PAHO in its latest bulletin dated May 27.
The South-East, Grande Anse, South and West are the departments most affected by outbreaks of cholera with a surge over the past three weeks in the number of daily alerts received from partners in the field. In the South-East department, the number of hospitalization has tripled over the past two weeks, with some of the cases coming however from neighboring West Department.
From 21-23 May, a significant increase of cases in
Port-au-Prince metropolitan area has also been
reported. As of 2 June, close to 2,000 cases and
13 deaths had been reported.
Some donors including ECHO and USAID have indicated the availability of new funds to respond to further cholera outbreaks.
PAHO is noting that it is too early to say whether there is a change in the tendency of the epidemic. The rise in the number of alerts might be due to the closure of Cholera Treatment Units (CTUs) and Centers (CTCs), resulting in the accumulation of cases in other health infrastructures still open.
