Flooding - Early Warning System

[Chris]

In preparation for this year's hurricane season, St Lucia installed an early warning system to measure flood conditions in order to be able to evacuate early. Caribbean: News in the Caribbean - Caribbean360.com

[Kyle]

interesting article...but the problem lies in the communication from the center to the people. but something is better than nothing. maybe the DR can get online with this...someday....

[Chip00]

Originally Posted by Chris

In preparation for this year's hurricane season, St Lucia installed an early warning system to measure flood conditions in order to be able to evacuate early. Caribbean: News in the Caribbean - Caribbean360.com

St Lucia is part of the US - hence the investment in such "handy" systems.

Here in the DR all one can expect here a few tried and true methods:

1. Don't go out when it is raining a lot if possible.
2. Move to high ground when the rain starts.
3. If out when it starts raining, wait in a high area until the flooding subsides.

[Caz]

St Lucia is the 2nd largest island in the British Lesser Antilles and was an associated state of Britain until independence in 1979.

[Robert]

We was the first and are still the only website that I'm aware of in the Caribbean that has a "Country Status" system in place.

DR1 - Hurricane & Storm Status

We developed this after " Hurricane George's" because of the terrible job the Government did and releasing information and keeping people updated.

We have a number of businesses signed up to use it and when something major like a hurricane is about to hit, then they will be altered and asked to give constant updates.

[Chris]

Originally Posted by Chip00

St Lucia is part of the US - hence the investment in such "handy" systems.

No Chip00, not now and has never been .. https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications...k/geos/st.html

I do not know where the funds for this system came from but this island is a member of both the Caribbean Basin Initiative (US) and CARICOM. So, I would not be surprised if it is donated funds from somewhere.

Anyway, most of the danger to islands such as ours and other Caribbean Islands from hurricanes and much rain, is danger of floods. This is the first system that I've seen that addresses this.

In the DR, many houses and dwellings are still built on the river banks, so, with flooding, houses get washed away and people drown. I've seen a similar situation in Panama, where houses are built on stilts, and flood waters come by and recede, leaving behind valuable silty topsoil and the indiginous community live with it and expect it.

In the DR (and Haiti it seems), I do not believe that anything has been done to address the problem of flooding. In Cuba, surprisingly, they evacuate early and quickly.

[Chris]

Originally Posted by Robert

We was the first ....

We was, was we

More seriously, I've been checking the status reports but with the current floods, did not see anything reported.

It would be good if DR1 could give some new exposure to the valuable service and let people know that this facility is there.

[Chip00]

Originally Posted by Chris

No Chip00, not now and has never been .. https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications...k/geos/st.html

I do not know where the funds for this system came from but this island is a member of both the Caribbean Basin Initiative (US) and CARICOM. So, I would not be surprised if it is donated funds from somewhere.

Anyway, most of the danger to islands such as ours and other Caribbean Islands from hurricanes and much rain, is danger of floods. This is the first system that I've seen that addresses this.

In the DR, many houses and dwellings are still built on the river banks, so, with flooding, houses get washed away and people drown. I've seen a similar situation in Panama, where houses are built on stilts, and flood waters come by and recede, leaving behind valuable silty topsoil and the indiginous community live with it and expect it.

In the DR (and Haiti it seems), I do not believe that anything has been done to address the problem of flooding. In Cuba, surprisingly, they evacuate early and quickly.

Yes I see that I was wrong, somehow I was thinking St. Lucia was part of the VI - sorry.

There has been some planning of relocating of communities in flood prone areas here in the DR specifically I believe on the Ozama river - however, I don't know if the plan was ever implemented.

The problem is that the police apparently doesn't have the resources or authority or desire to remove the squatters in the flood prone areas and furthermore enforce the non-development in said areas as well.

[Chris]

Originally Posted by Chip00

The problem is that the police apparently doesn't have the resources or authority or desire to remove the squatters in the flood prone areas and furthermore enforce the non-development in said areas as well.

It is the old 1st world/3rd world conundrum or dichotomy or something esoteric such as that.

People, especially indiginous and landbased people frequently build where they are close to water for household purposes. And we all know that our beloved DR country leaders have their development priorities .. uhm .. up the creek!

In my mind and according to the reading I've done over the past number of months, water seems to be becoming quite an issue environmentally. (What is not becoming an issue!). I would like to see coherent plans with good followthru. OK, I'll go back to bed now and get up again .. and this time leave the dreams behind.