Matthew

The hurricane, not the gospel.

I have no right to speak for the Eglise Episcopale d'Haiti, but I'm going to do it anyway. 

Matthew, the Episcopal Church does not welcome you.

Haiti's Hurricane History: A Long Relationship with Disaster

Please pray.

I gather Matthew hasn't hit yet, but it will be there soon enough. It's a pretty wide storm, so even if it does stay on course to shoot the gap between the islands, it's going to knock Haiti for a loop.  And Haiti does not need this.

All this with the presidential election coming up in a week or so, I believe.

With permission, I'm sharing a few personal reports from the Facebook page of a missionary in the Port-au-Prince area, a protestant pastor who is also associated with the English-language congregation at St Jacques, Petionville (Eglise Episcopale).

[beginning with the most recent]

around 7PM October 1:

Haiti is now under Hurricane Watch. The center is likely to approach Jamaica and Southwestern Haiti with bands reaching out ahead and beside it in both directions. Currently Matthew is a category 4 Hurricane and is drifting in a north-western pattern at about 3 miles per hour, in other words - it's taking it's sweet time moving along and so winds and heavy rains may be sustained over a longer period, thus causing serious flooding and damage, and possible loss of life.

In a storm of this size there's not a lot you can do beyond putting up provisions and sitting tight. Remain vigilant and ready to stave off damage to your property. Hopefully the roof holds and we don't get too badly drenched.

We are still without power for the second full day leading up to the storm so we're already sustaining loss of food. I've already started cleaning the fridge out. Hopefully the power will still come on so that we can recharge our invertor batteries

......

UPDATE: 4:15 pm

We are now officially under a hurricane watch. Apparently Matthew has been downgraded to a Category 4 (150 mph winds) and all of Haiti and Jamaica are under Hurricane Watch.

Cloud cover here is already pretty thick and the trees are very uneasy.

To complicate things, our neighborhood has been without power since Thursday night and even our battery backup system has to be used sparingly. Our refrigeration has been null for the past 48 hours so we're already having things spoil.

The National Operations Center for Emergencies has just announced that they have been evacuating residents of a series of small outlying islands in the south of Haiti near Ile a Vache. They are making announcements on the National Television Network to keep people informed. This is a new service provided by the governement and it is very much needed and appreciated.

........
around 8AM October 1

Please be praying for those of us in the Western Caribbean as the news says that Hurricane Matthew is now Category 5. It is headed for a direct hit on Jamaica and will hit the western tip of Haiti with hurricane force while the rest of Haiti is going to be hit with a very severe Tropical Storm. There is little more that we can do to prepare as the roof is already covered with tarps but these may be ripped off if winds get too bad.

Flooding is a real danger for many. Especially those who have homes along rivers and in low lying areas and ravines. Those still living in shelters, though mainly wood with tin roofing are also at risk as the storm is so severe.

We haven't been hit with a major hurricane since 2008 and I think many have forgotten just how terrifying they can be and the damage which they cause. Most of our people are rural and depend on their crops to survive and a storm like this can wipe them out.

Our stocks of emergency supplies are totally exhausted since the quake and there will be very little assistance that we can be if this becomes a major disaster so please pray that it stays out at sea and off the islands.

He also shared some official communiques from Haiti:

Sent at 8:25 pm
Security Message for U.S. Citizens
U.S. Embassy, Port-au-Prince, Haïti
October 1, 2016

Hurricane Matthew Updates

This message is to advise U.S. citizens residing and traveling in Haiti that Hurricane Matthew, category 4, is predicted to affect Haiti starting Sunday, October 2nd and continuing through Wednesday, October 5th. A Hurricane Watch has been declared for parts of Haiti. U.S. Embassy personnel in the southern peninsula have been instructed to return to Port-au-Prince. This storm is expected to bring significant rainfall that may result in flooding and mudslides, primarily in the southern peninsula but also in Port-au-Prince and the rest of the country, and Hispaniola-wide impacts are projected. Storm surge along the southern coast, as well as flooding, flash flooding and landslides, are expected.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) and the Haiti-Météo are monitoring the progress of the storm, and the Embassy will issue updated messages as needed.

U.S. citizens are advised to locate shelter, monitor media reports, and follow all official instructions. U.S. citizens should carry their travel documents at all time (i.e. U.S. Passport, Birth Certificate, picture identification, etc.) or secure them in safe, waterproof locations. We also suggest that U.S. citizens contact friends and family in the United States with updates about their whereabouts.

If you will not be able travel to a scheduled appointment on Monday-Wednesay, please do not hesitate to call the 509-2229-8000, 2229-8900 or sent us an email at the acspap@state.govto reschedule your appointment. For Immigrant or nonimmigrant visa cases, please contact the call center at 509-2819-2929 or by email at support-Haiti@ustraveldocs.com.

Additional information on hurricanes and storm preparedness may be found on our “Hurricane Season-Know Before You Go” webpage, and on the “Natural Disasters” page of the Bureau of Consular Affairs website. Updated information on travel in the Haiti may be obtained from the Department of State by calling 1-888-407-4747 within the United States and Canada, or from overseas, 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 am to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

We strongly recommend that all U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Haiti enroll in the Department of State's secure online Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). STEP enrollment gives you the latest security updates and makes it easier for the nearest U.S. embassy to contact you in an emergency.

Travelers are advised to regularly monitor the travel information page of the State Department's website where you can find the current travel warnings for Haiti, travel alerts, and the Worldwide Caution. Read the Country Specific Information for Haiti. For additional information, refer to "Travelers Checklist" on the State Department's website.

Contact the U.S. Embassy or consulate for up-to-date information on travel restrictions. You can also call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free from within the United States and Canada, or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). Follow the Bureau of Consular Affairs on Twitter and Facebook.

For all emergencies involving U.S. citizens, contact the U.S. Citizen Services Unit of the U.S. Embassy’s Consular Section, located at Tabarre 41, Boulevard du 15 Octobre, Tabarre, Haiti; telephone 509-2229-8000; e-mail ; website.

Dear Canadian,

...Please share the following important information with other Canadian citizens in your area and encourage them to register.

Tropical Storm Matthew has been transformed Friday into Hurricane Category 4. Haiti is in phase pre-alert over the whole territory.
Threats of heavy rain and strong winds with risks of collapses, landslides and floods throughout the country in particular on the peninsula the South, the Artibonite, the Northwest and the West.
Stay informed by listening to the latest warnings and advisories on local radio, television or websites. Hurricane centres will issue and update these when necessary. Follow the advice of local authorities and emergency response personnel and maintain close contact with your family to keep them informed of your situation.

Please note that information about the weather can be obtained online via www.meteo-haiti.gouv.ht (french only) and you can follow the advice and warnings of Civil Protection office via twitter @pwoteksyonsivil (french and creole only)

Other resources
- Canadian Hurricane Centre (Environment Canada)
- Humanitarian Early Warning Service (HEWS) (English only)
- National Hurricane Center (U.S.) (anglais seulement)

We also encourage you to stay connected to the latest travel advice and advisories, the latest warning. Our emergency contact information is available at www.travel.gc.ca, and also via our mobile Travel smart application (www.travel.gc.ca/mobile) or by subscribing to RSS feeds (www.travel.gc.ca/rss). You can also follow us on Twitter @AmbCanHaiti or Facebook “Embassy of Canada in Haïti”

Global Affairs Canada

COMMUNIQUE DE PRESSE
Port-au-Prince, le samedi 01 octobre 2016.- Le Bureau de Communication de la Primature s’empresse d’informer la population que le Secrétariat permanent de gestion des risques et des désastres (SPGRD), de concert avec le Centre national de météorologie (CNM), a lancé, ce samedi 1er octobre, la phase d'alerte au niveau de vigilance rouge, face au risque d'impact de forte intensité, lié aux averses et coups de vent.
Le SPGRD a également procédé à l'activation du Plan National de Gestion des Risques et Désastres (PNGRD) par rapport aux menaces de fortes pluies et de forts vents avec risques d’éboulements, de forte houle, de glissements de terrain et d’inondations sur tout le pays, en particulier sur la péninsule Sud, l’Artibonite, le Nord-ouest et l’Ouest.
De même, en synergie avec le SPGRD et le CNM, le Service maritime de navigation d’Haïti (SEMANAH), interdit jusqu’à nouvel ordre, toute opération de cabotage sur les zones côtières du pays, en particulier les côtes sud et le golfe de la Gonâve.
Aussi, exhorte-t-il la population à la plus grande vigilance et à se préparer à affronter les vents violents et les trombes d'eau qui devraient se déverser sur le pays.
Tout le gouvernement est mobilisé, ainsi que les forces de l’ordre pour évaluer la situation et coordonner rapidement les actions de réponse. Les comités régionaux de la protection civile sont aussi mobilisés pour venir en aide aux populations à risque, dont la collaboration est vivement souhaitée quant à l’application des consignes de sécurité.
Bureau de Communication de la Primature