Haiti Mops Up

Apparently things went as well as could be expected in the big cities of Haiti as Tomas passed nearby. That is a relief!:

The storm’s western track caused widespread floods and wind damage along the far edge of Haiti’s coast and is blamed for the deaths of at least eight people. It was a serious blow, but far better than had been feared in a nation where storms have been known to kill thousands, and more than 1 million quake survivors are living under tarpaulins and in tents.

“It really didn’t dump a lot of rain on us, so we got very lucky,’’ said Steve McAndrew, Haiti earthquake relief coordinator for the American Red Cross.

...Floodwaters covered streets in Leogane, the town closest to the epicenter of the Jan. 12 quake, and about a foot of water stood on a thoroughfare of the flood-prone northwestern city of Gonaives. Mountain towns were cut off by flooded roads and landslides, including one reported by UN peacekeepers near the southern port of Jacmel.

But it was clear that the most-feared catastrophes were averted: Earthquake camps were not torn apart by wind; storm surge did not drown the ocean-side slums; and the La Quinte River — which has twice drowned Gonaives above the first stories of its buildings since 2004 — stayed in its bed.

...Despite official instructions to abandon earthquake camps in the capital, the vast majority of people remained in their tarps, leaving evacuation buses to drive away empty. Many were concerned that the storm was a pretext to evict them, or that bandits would steal their belongings while they were away.

In camps that did flood in Leogane, most people left only at the last minute. Others remained, surrounded by rising waters and yelling for help.

At the government’s flagship relocation camp, Corail-Cesselesse, chaos reigned long into the night. Disorganization between various aid groups and confusion among the nearly 8,000 residents sparked a near-riot as the evacuation got underway.

The residents had moved to the remote location with the promise that it would protect them from storms, but the government-selected, internationally approved site turned out to be a dangerous floodplain.

Once the evacuation got underway, several thousand people were packed into an abandoned hospital named .... A loud crash at the back of the building around midnight sparked shouts of “Earthquake!’’ and panic ensued. Three people were injured and had to be sent to a hospital.