Subtropical Storm OLGA was Late Season Tropical Depression 94

[Chip]

FRom reading the article it appears that while this Ing. Onésimo Reyes has some familiarity with the topic the statement:

Solamente Dios puede saber la cantidad de lluvia que puede caer en un determinado tiempo, pero la lluvia se mide después que cae, no antes.

which translates to:

Only God can know the amount of water that can fall at anyone time, but the actual rainfall amount is measured after the eventr not before.

is false and show either an innate misunderstanding of storm rainfall analysis or some type of political attempt to confuse the issues. The facts are is that we have rain gages in many parts of the States that measure rainfall as it happens with the information being sent by telemetry to a central monitoring station, and as the actual rainfall on large watersheds needs time to accumulate("lag time" "time of concentration") there is quite substantial time to analyze the data and make a decision, typically more than two hours for a basin of this size. While there are some issues with consistency with rainfall guages, ie there has to be sufficient numbers in place to be effective, stream flows can be measured as well as a check on the data. This still would give enough time for a real educated decision to be made.

I can't believe there wouldn't be rain guages in this country and I can't believe that this guy isn't aware of them. Then again I talked to one of the civil engineers here in Santiago, supposedly the biggest and richest firm, and they didn't understand the reason for so many retention ponds in Florida so maybe they don't get this training. Then again there is the internet and 99% of this info is available to the public.

Nonetheless, I lost interest in the article after this part - if this guy is going to make a statement as such, apart from being completely wrong, it comes to the defense of the numnut governor and his cohorts - and therefore it makes everything he says suspect, imo. I think I will send an email to the paper and maybe they will publish it as a rebuttal, I doubt it.

[Lambada]

Originally Posted by Chip

I think I will send an email to the paper and maybe they will publish it as a rebuttal, I doubt it.

If you send it as an opinion piece I think you'll find they will be more than happy to publish it. They published an opinion piece of mine last year
.: Periódico El Faro•Edición Digital :.

Tell the Director, Augusto Vasquez, a bit about your professional background & how long you've lived in Santiago (all in Spanish of course) and then think of your title & write your article. Send to either elfarodr@gmail.com or periodicoelfaro@hotmail.com Normally the next issue would be Tuesday but that is Jan. 1st so maybe it'll go to Wednesday (print version is normally every Tues & Fri - online version is updated the day before print version at their print deadline point).

Of course there are rain gauges in DR. That's what the whole argument between ONAMET & Listin Diario/NASA was over (links previously on this thread). On ONAMET's site scroll down to bottom of page Hidrometeorologia & click on Lluvias Acumuladas:
Onamet - Oficina Nacional de Meteorología - República Dominicana

And did you read Luis Arthur's blog for 28th & 29th. Dec.?
Luis H. Arthur S.

And Chip, please post the link here when it is published.

[Chip]

Originally Posted by Lambada

If you send it as an opinion piece I think you'll find they will be more than happy to publish it. They published an opinion piece of mine last year
.: Periódico El Faro•Edición Digital :.

Tell the Director, Augusto Vasquez, a bit about your professional background & how long you've lived in Santiago (all in Spanish of course) and then think of your title & write your article. Send to either elfarodr@gmail.com or periodicoelfaro@hotmail.com Normally the next issue would be Tuesday but that is Jan. 1st so maybe it'll go to Wednesday (print version is normally every Tues & Fri - online version is updated the day before print version at their print deadline point).

Of course there are rain gauges in DR. That's what the whole argument between ONAMET & Listin Diario/NASA was over (links previously on this thread). On ONAMET's site scroll down to bottom of page Hidrometeorologia & click on Lluvias Acumuladas:
Onamet - Oficina Nacional de Meteorología - República Dominicana

And did you read Luis Arthur's blog for 28th & 29th. Dec.?
Luis H. Arthur S.

And Chip, please post the link here when it is published.

It appears they even have infrared as well, which makes what this engineer said even more nonsensical, unbelievable!

I just read the blog and I'm glad to know others aren't pulling punches, but honestly, do you think that blogs will get that much exposure? I think reports like this need to be on the news in the evening to reach the majority of the population(many unfortunately who are illeterate).

I will try to draft something up today, thanks for the link.

[Lambada]

Originally Posted by Chip

I will try to draft something up today, thanks for the link.

Did you send it yet Chip? I looked in last Monday & Friday print versions of El Faro but didn't see it.

[Chip]

Originally Posted by Lambada

Did you send it yet Chip? I looked in last Monday & Friday print versions of El Faro but didn't see it.

Sorry, been busy with the holidays and the family. I need to do some research to post some reference links.

[Lambada]

No need to apologise. Have a look at what Luis Espinosa, Director Cuencas Hidrográficas at Environment Ministry is saying in this piece in Diario Libre about the state of river basins and sedimentation & subsequent risks.
Noticias - Es crÃ*tico el deterioro de cuencas hidrográficas

According to him 'Esto supone que el 80% de la cuenca alta del Yaque y por ende el 70% del municipio de Jarabacoa, se encuentra en una zona de alto riesgo a problemas de inundaciones y deslizamiento.' (emboldening mine).

He can be contacted if you need to: Luis Alberto Espinosa Portacarrero
Cargo: Director Area: Dirección de Cuenca Hidrografica Teléfono: 809-547-3888 Ext. 6008 Correo: suelo-agua@medioambiente.gov.do
Medio Ambiente en línea - Inicio

I hope the lessons from this are incorporated into the Tavera Commission of Enquiry report. Actually it seems Environment Ministry are taking a lead - see DR1 News today:

Ministry halts houses along the Yaque

The Ministry of the Environment has issued a resolution prohibiting the construction of houses along the banks of the Yaque River, thereby taking control of the areas that were affected by the Tavera Dam floodwaters released after Tropical Storm Olga. At the same time, the minister, Omar Ramirez, is asking the National Housing Institute, (INVI) to suspend the reconstruction of houses damaged by the floods until a full study is carried out to identify the best places to rebuild. Ramirez also asked Santiago's mayor, Jose Enrique Sued to take control of the historic market area known as Los Hospedajes (in popular language "Lopedaje"), in order to determine whether the market should stay in its current location.

and see the following item in DR1 News also.....................

[Lambada]

Don't want to repeat a post so please see post 35 here:
Hurricane & Tropical Storms and the Economy

Citizens near Las Barías organising to seek compensation for damages resultant from alleged mismanagement of Valdesia during Noel.

[Lambada]

OK standby! Details of Tavera legal plaint here, to be submitted by national & local PRSC (Aristy & Sued), victims & farmers etc. after their engineers headed by Osiris de León have carried out a study.
http://www.elcaribecdn.com/articulo_...5132&Seccion=3

[Chip]

Originally Posted by Lambada

OK standby! Details of Tavera legal plaint here, to be submitted by national & local PRSC (Aristy & Sued), victims & farmers etc. after their engineers headed by Osiris de León have carried out a study.
http://www.elcaribecdn.com/articulo_...5132&Seccion=3

I read the article and it appears quite promising. This is a good example of how democracy is supposed to work. Let's hope that this is a continuing and growing trend and it would be icing on the cake if they get some type of indictment.

[Lambada]

Originally Posted by Chip

I read the article and it appears quite promising. This is a good example of how democracy is supposed to work. Let's hope that this is a continuing and growing trend and it would be icing on the cake if they get some type of indictment.

More here on the Osiris de Leon study group which intends reporting at the end of this month (because they say, unlike the Government Commission of Enquiry, they don't need 3 months!).
Santiago tendrá su propia comisión para investigar caso presa Tavera

El Nacional, la voz de todos

and 2 pieces about where the recovery efforts are at one month after the tragedy (brief translation - not very far advanced!):
El Nacional, la voz de todos

A un mes del desastre de Tavera

And meanwhile what is the head of INDRHI doing? Meeting with members of the Commission of Enquiry? Studying previous reports of dam problems? Going and helping out with recovery efforts? No to all of the above. He is busy swearing in new support groups for the President's re-election campaign i.e. back on the campaign trail:
RodrÃ*guez Pimentel Juramentara Nuevas Directivas - Diario Horizonte - Noticias Dominicanas - Quisqueya

You know, when you put all these items side by side............it just looks like really unwise public relations to me. Or indifference.