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9/9/07 Report on Hurricane Felix:
John and I arrived in Puerto Cabezas on September 1st for the week. Our
intentions were to be on hand for the official inauguration of pathology
services, set up an integrated computer system for the lab, and assess and
assist with lab functions. I planned to bring lice combs to the orphanage
and offer a story hour there with the Spanish children‚s books I brought
with me. Instead, Hurricane Felix came; destroying not only our plans, but
also much of what Partners in Health has worked to build over these past
several years.
The Partners in Health volunteer house offered safe refuge for us and a host
of neighbors and friends of all ages. Four generations of Emilio Oporta‚s
family hunkered down with us for the storm. I think there were about 30
people in our house. The wind and rain started around midnight, and by 4 am
everyone in the house was up, watching and praying. Felix peaked around 7
am. We watched the roof across the street flap like paper until it peeled
right off. Virtually all the roofs here are made of corrugated metal, and
Felix damaged most of them.
By early afternoon on Tuesday the wind had died down and people were out and
cleaning up. Everyone we talked to was happy to be alive and ready to get
back to daily life. The men were using machetes to cut the trees and drag
them to the edges of the roads. Trees were down everywhere. All but two of
the huge beautiful ancient shade trees in the central park went down. Power
lines were down everywhere with wires dangling and poles leaning
precariously into the streets.
Fortunately the patients and crucial equipment from Hospital Nuevo Amanecer
were evacuated on Monday afternoon to a technical school on higher ground.
Unfortunately, many of the roofs of the hospital building were damaged and
some buildings were skeletal. It will be difficult to repair these
structures and resume normal hospital functions.
According to the Nicaraguan Disaster Center 8,355 homes, 21 public
buildings, and 44 private buildings (many of which were churches) were
destroyed in Puerto Cabezas. 6,123 latrines were destroyed and 5,223 wells
were contaminated. The eye of the hurricane passed to the north of Puerto
Cabezas and did even more serious damage and inflicting many fatalities to
the Miskitu villages in its path.
In this most impoverished region of the second poorest country in the
western hemisphere, Hurricane Felix has caused a devastating setback. It
was a sad thing to witness.
Partners in Health has set up a fund to help rebuild what has been lost.
Please send a check to the PIH Hurricane Felix Fund, c/o Steve Johnson, 959
Kennebec Road, Hampden, ME 04444.
Thank you so much for caring. It means so much to these wonderful people
who have been subjected to a natural disaster beyond their control.
Thank you,
Mary Benziger
email: thebenzigers@hotmail.com |
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