On 2–3 June 2023, heavy rains caused destructive flooding across
Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
. Western areas of the country were particularly hard-hit. At least 51 people were killed, 140 were injured, and 11 were reported missing as of 6 June.
Background
From late May to early June 2023, periods of heavy rain impacted Haiti, leaving soils saturated and unable to absorb much additional rain. On 2–3 June, a stationary
area of low pressure
In meteorology, a low-pressure area, low area or low is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure areas are commonly associated with inclement weather (such as cloudy, windy, with possible ...
produced heavy rain and thunderstorms across the country.
Rains subsided the following day as the storm system waned. With the aforementioned soils saturated, widespread flooding and landslides ensued.
Impact and aftermath
Rivers overflowed their banks, inundating many communities.
Landslides were also reported.
Five of Haiti's ten departments were affected:
Ouest,
Nippes,
Sud-Est,
Nord-Ouest , and
Centre
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...
.
Damage was particularly severe around the capital city of
Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince ( , ; ht, Pòtoprens ) is the capital and most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 987,311 in 2015 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The metropolitan area is define ...
.
As of 6 June, 51 people were confirmed dead, 140 were injured, and 18 remained missing.
One person drowned and 14 others were rescued when their boat capsized off the coast of
Côtes-de-Fer
Côtes-de-Fer ( ht, Kòt Defè) is a commune in the Bainet Arrondissement, in the Sud-Est department of Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on ...
.
Crops were severely affected in central regions of the country. Three rivers burst their banks around
Jérémie, leaving the city partially isolated.
A bridge recently constructed in the city following a
catastrophic earthquake in 2021 was partially destroyed.
A total of 37,375 people were affected, 13,390 of whom were displaced. At least 13,591 homes were flooded and 820 were destroyed. Five health centers were also affected
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Ariel Henry requested international aid following the disaster.
The
World Food Programme began mobilizing resources and personnel on 5 June, with rations and dry food for 15,000 planned for distribution.
The
Directorate-General for Civil Protection and Emergencies
The Directorate-General for Civil Protection and Emergencies (DGPCE) is a component of the Spain, Spanish Ministry of the Interior (Spain), Department of the Interior responsible for promoting, planning and coordinating the various actors involved ...
and
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs worked in tandem for relief efforts. Relief missions costing US$720 million already in place from the 2021 earthquake were only 20 percent funded at the time of the floods.
Recurrent
gang violence
A gang is a group or society of associates, friends or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over territory in a community and engages, either individually or collectivel ...
hampered relief efforts.
Léogâne Mayor Ernson Henry described residents as "desperate...
fter losingeverything".
Two earthquakes followed the floods: a 4.1 on 4 June and a 4.9 on 6 June.
The latter of these occurred near Jérémie, further complicating relief efforts.
Four people were killed and 36 others were injured.
See also
*
List of natural disasters in Haiti
Throughout its history, Haiti has suffered cyclones, hurricanes, tropical storms, torrential rains, floods and earthquakes.
The hurricane season in Haiti lasts from June to the end of November.
The following is a non-exhaustive list of natural di ...
*
2022 Haiti floods
Between January 31 to February 1, heavy rains in Haiti caused floods. On February 1, five people were killed by the floods, with one more person missing.
On March 7, a storm hit the Puerto Plata province of the Dominican Republic and the Nor ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Haiti floods, 2023
Floods
A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrolog ...
2023 floods in North America
2023 meteorology
June 2023 events in North America
Floods in the Caribbean
2023 floods
Centre (department)
Nippes
Nord-Ouest (department)
Ouest (department)
Sud-Est (department)
June 2023 events in Haiti