Haiti: Alerts for flooding and landslides May 17-18

Event

The Haitian Interior Ministry has issued an alert for flooding, mudslides, and landsides due to heavy rainfall forecast for Wednesday, May 17, and Thursday, May 18. The departments of Sud, Sud-Est, Grand'Anse, Artibonite, Centre, Nord-Ouest, and Ouest, including the capital Port-au-Prince, are all concerned by the alert.

Context

Between April 23 and May 2, at least ten people were reported dead amid severe rainfall and flooding across Haiti. According to a recent report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), severe rainfall between April 20-24 caused mudslides, landslides, and flooding in the Sud, Sud-Est, Grand'Anse, and Nippes departments, destroying 15 houses and damaging 10,000 others. The beleaguered Sud department is the most affected region with 80 percent of the spring harvest reportedly wiped out due to recent flooding. An estimated 350,000 people have been affected in the Sud department.

Haiti's rainy seasons generally last from April to June and from August to October, while the hurricane season lasts from June to November. Flooding and landslides are common during these periods, especially when much of Haiti's waterbed is saturated from recent rainfall (as it currently is).

Be aware that the risk of contracting water- and mosquito-borne diseases - including malaria, chikungunya, dengue fever, and the Zika virus - tends to rise after periods of heavy rains.

Advice

Individuals present in affected regions are advised to keep abreast of the situation, to avoid areas directly hit by flooding, and to adhere to any orders issued by the local authorities. Remember that driving or walking through running water can be dangerous - 15 cm (6 in) of running water is enough to knock over an adult - and that floodwater may contain wastewater or chemical products; all items having come into contact with the water should be disinfected and all foodstuffs disposed of.