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Preparing for Hurricane Irma
Our homes in the Dominican Republic and Haiti are preparing for Hurricane Irma.
September 7, 2017
As of 5 a.m. on September 7, 2017, there was wind and rain at the NPH home in the Dominican Republic from Hurricane Irma, and Haiti is expecting flooding, mudslides and road blockage due to debris in and around our facilities in Tabarre, Haiti. Our NPH St. Damien Pediatric Hospital is prepared for trauma cases, increased infectious diseases, and more cholera cases.
Local Strategies: NPH Dominican Republic
We have prepared our home in a way to keep us all safe during this event.
- Food preparation and rations for the week, we have sent extra supplies of food and water to each house for at least two days. This way we do not put our kitchen staff or children at risk during the storm.
- Reserving enough fuel for both vehicles and generators.
- Access and knowledge of workings of the manual water pump.
- Ample amount of propane gas for the central kitchen and for the house kitchens.
- Ample supply of necessary medications (treatments/generic)
- Prune tree limbs that could hit our electric cables if they were to fall.
- Limit energy usage while using our backup generators. Give lamps and candles to the houses.
- Move any object that could blow away or cause damage to the surroundings during strong winds.
- Create a list of contacts and numbers of cell phones for houses to improve communication while keeping people indoors.
- Check in on children who are in our reintegration system, giving special attention to those in the path of the storm.
- Reunite one more time with all personnel and pequeñ@s to review these points/steps. However the main course of action for them is to stay in their houses. For the caregivers it is important to keep the children entertained with table games, coloring and doing various activities indoors or while avoiding playing with electronics.
- Move children and caregivers from the house Sta. Maria to the clinic and inform them of the current events.
- Families of staff are welcome to stay at the DR home if there are safety concerns
Local Strategies: NPH Haiti
- Additional purchases of gas/propone
- Trimming trees and debris removal
- Preparing sandbags
- Opening up FWAL school for community and or hermanos mayores that need need shelter
- Purchasing bread and extra water
- Concern for youths that live with family members in countryside and in the northern part of the country
- Additional food for St. Damien staff that is staying to work 48 to 72 hours
September 8, 2017
Our NPH homes and programs in Haiti and the Dominican Republic were spared. Both sites had mild rains, wind and in the Dominican Republic home, they experienced a power outage but has since been restored. We will stay vigilant for our neighbors in the north of the country and help if needed.
From Fr./Dr. Rick Frechette, President of NPH Haiti’s Board of Directors
It was a busy day for us on site because we had given the day free to 80% of staff to ride out the storm at home, off the streets, and with their children.
We were very lucky and it seems Irma is well passed Haiti now.
Let’s thank God together for our good fortune, and stay ready to help anyone in the north of Haiti who was not.
About NPH USA
NPH USA supports the homes, healthcare and educational programs of Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH, Spanish for “Our Little Brothers and Sisters”) in Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru.
NPH Haiti’s programs include St. Damien Pediatric Hospital, the nation’s premier children’s facility, which serves thousands of people each year.