Big Day

[Kip]

I have a feeling 100 pesos ($2.25US) is about a day's pay for these gents. That would be a serious game .

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[Kip]

The rain I mentioned on the show last night has gotten far more serious today. There are videos throughout my feed today, showing bridges and homes washing away. Somewhere near 10k families are displaced from their homes, and the rain continues. It's been falling all day today. We're in a good spot, uphill from serious flooding. Santiago proper has several problem areas, but it looks really bad in the campo surrounding the city, especially to the North. Jacagua, where I drive through in order to get to Palo Alto, is a friggin' disaster. Tamboril isn't much better. Puerto Plata is out of control.

The Gracesque family called to tell us not to try and come up the mountain today. The road was already largely washed out, with the previous 40 minute drive taking over an hour (several places on the "road" have been washed out in recent weeks). I can't even imagine what it's like now. There are several communities cut off from the rest of the world because the roads are washed away or deeply flooded.

[Kip]

Here's an earlier Civil Defense report for Santiago...clunky translation provided by Bing.

Preliminary report
* Civil Defense Santiago *
13/11/2016
Event: rain falls in the evening and the morning.
Place: all municipalities
Province: Santiago
Detail:

1-* Santiago *
Some neighborhoods were with flooding in the streets and alleys (Urban Flood) as a result of the saturation of soils affecting housing directly.
In the stream of gurabo: 100 houses are flooded
Villa Esperanza Sector: 3 homes destroyed
The Glory of cienfuegos 152 houses flooded
The hole of bartola house destroyed: 1
Neighborhood hope :3
Total
Destroyed: 7
Flooded: 252

2 _ * VILLA GONZALEZ *
There are reports of 8 houses destroyed in the javilla and 7 houses destroyed in arranquillo.
Total
Destroyed: 15
Flooded: 256

3 _ * NAVARRETE *
Neighborhood Manolo Tavárez right with 20 houses flooded are doing evacuations
* PONTOON 2 houses flooded by a channel that is on the shores,
* Neighborhood Dr. Next to the fan 83 houses flooded
Total
Flooded: 105

4 _ * DRUM *
Rio experienced flooding, 3 houses collapsed proceeds of river licey.
* 150 houses flooded
* 60 displaced persons
*3 houses collapsed
Total
Destroyed: 3
Flooded: 150

5 _ * LICEY *
Mount the jagua in the back of a house collapsed proceeds of landslide by the river licey and there are several more in danger from several years ago,
- Canca: houses are flooded
- Botoncillo: houses flooded
- the jewel: houses partially collapsed
- Urbanization Solano: houses in partially collapsed.
- Sector The Vazquez: 1 house collapsed and another in the process of collapse.
*
Total
Partially collapsed: 19
Flooded: 21

6 _ * SHIV *
Several houses are flooded product of the chute that runneth over
Total
Partially Destrosadas: 2
Inundadas:25
* 2 Bridges / the perruco / the jabilla Colorado
* several trees down on electrical power lines

7 CIENFUEGOS * _ *
About 158 houses are flooded
Total
Flooded: 158
Destroyed: 0

8 _ * the coconuts of jacagua *
There are reports of 258 flooded homes product of flooding on the Rio Yaque Del Norte, as it is being reported that the bridge of cocal suffered damage
Total
Flooded: 258
Destroyed: 1
Note:
(we have a report of a child of 13 years of age who was allegedly electrocuted reported it on the day of today, 10:45 am)
Total Housing units in the province of Santiago
Destroyed: 26
Partially destruidas:21
Flooded: 1,225
Action Taken:
Member of the civil defence by the army of the Dominican Republic among other institutions have been doing the process of preventive evacuations towards family and friends.
In all the localities of the municipality of Santiago units have been dispatched, he oversaw the states of the cause and the surrounding houses, was directed to the population to take preventive measures and conducted a preliminary uprising through direct observation.

Back in long, Barrio Obrero, ingenuity, yagüita of Pastor, crossroads jacagua, hole bartola, cienfuegos, nge. Bolivar, father the houses, neighborhood saints and gurabo:
• Units have been dispatched
• Oversaw the area
• was directed to the people
• Preliminary edan
• Direct observation

The Alcandía of the municipality of Santiago has remained collecting garbage cleaning glens and bridges that were blocked with logs in with their heavy equipment.

Active institutions
Governor, Mayor, Civil Defense, erd, municipal police, firemen, coraasan canteens, economic, National Police, joint command, red cross north
Heavy rain has been reported so far without causing damage.

They keep monitoring more slums and the condition of the municipalities to see if there was any damage or consequences which endanger lives and properties.

Preliminary report prepared by:
Miguel Tomas Moronta
* in charge of chamber of crisis management *

Supervised by:
Francisco Arias
* National and regional deputy director
Civil Defense *

[Stewmuse]

That is very much a bad situation. Please forward my best wishes to Gracesque and William. That also goes for you and the Hartsfelds, as well as the other families with which you are working.

[Kip]

These areas are, for the most part, barrios around Santiago - which are not getting the brunt of the damage. The other side of the mountain is where they're really getting pounded. Puerto Plata is absolutely taking a beating.

[Kip]

This info is a few days old, and it's rain quite a bit more since then...

CLICK HERE

[Kip]

Similar info, but with a couple videos....

CLICK HERE

[Kip]

At the moment, the rain has stopped in Santiago. But, for some the worst is yet to come. The government opened the floodgates upstream in the Tavera Dam on the Yaque del Norte (the main river that flows through these parts). In about 4 hours, the water will be making its way here through Santiago.

This dam has been a controversial thing in the past. It's a necesity to supply the power grid (such as it is) and make water available for crops during dry seasons. But, during large scale rain events it's dangerous. It's caused a lot of trouble historically...most recently in 2007 during TS Olga. There was so much rain then that the government feared a dam failure that would have killed thousands in Santiago. But, by opening the floodgates they knew there would be killing many people downstream that were already at flood stage. There was no good outcome, but in the end they opened the gates knowing they were signing death warrants for those folks but justifying it because it would prevent a much higher casualty rate. They've announced the opening this time, but my own gut feeling says many of the folks about to be impacted have no clue what's coming. They don't have power or internet. It's up to patrolling officials to get the word out...and some communities are cut off because the bridges are washed away. Despite the sunshine peaking through the clouds in my neighborhood, I fear the worst for my neighbors.

[Stewmuse]

At the moment, the rain has stopped in Santiago. But, for some the worst is yet to come. The government opened the floodgates upstream in the Tavera Dam on the Yaque del Norte (the main river that flows through these parts). In about 4 hours, the water will be making its way here through Santiago.

This dam has been a controversial thing in the past. It's a necesity to supply the power grid (such as it is) and make water available for crops during dry seasons. But, during large scale rain events it's dangerous. It's caused a lot of trouble historically...most recently in 2007 during TS Olga. There was so much rain then that the government feared a dam failure that would have killed thousands in Santiago. But, by opening the floodgates they knew there would be killing many people downstream that were already at flood stage. There was no good outcome, but in the end they opened the gates knowing they were signing death warrants for those folks but justifying it because it would prevent a much higher casualty rate. They've announced the opening this time, but my own gut feeling says many of the folks about to be impacted have no clue what's coming. They don't have power or internet. It's up to patrolling officials to get the word out...and some communities are cut off because the bridges are washed away. Despite the sunshine peaking through the clouds in my neighborhood, I fear the worst for my neighbors.

That's a hard decision, either way, and I'm glad I didn't have to make it. Good luck, sincerely.

[jledou]

Not a good situation. Thank you for the updates and the perspective. Stay safe Kip.