In this part of the Caribbean there is certainly something unusual going on meteorologically. Very stormy weather, gusts that likely exceed 50mph off and on for the past 48 hours, accompanied by periodic rain. Right now very overcast, with sun peeking through now and then. Whatever this system is, there should be some more definitive, public characterization, and I am hardly an authority (although my observation of professional meteorologists in the US is one of overpaid entertainers).

As with Hurricane Matthew, the local/regional population here have no more than a grassroots understanding and ability to determine what may be coming from the sky. And, unquestionably, these individuals need a break from such problems. The current conditions are causing widespread, albeit relatively minor, damage to a perpetually fragile infrastructure and once again unsettling people and preventing further recovery efforts from Matthew. Unfortunately, in addition to this, the inappropriate action on the part of the US to arrest the newly elected senator from this region of Haiti has further complicated much needed public health and community re-building activities that were in progress up until late last week. This incident caused widespread panic among the non-Haitian, US aid workers prompting a mass exodus of individuals here only for relief and recovery efforts. Now the Americans are gone and much needed work (distribution of medicine, food, building materials, healthcare, etc.) has ground to a halt.

On another note, one position I would like to throw out there is the idea that those in the weather forecasting community, on a global level, consider whether or not there is a moral/ethical responsibility to inform isolated, economically marginalized populations such as here in the Grand Anse region of Haiti, as to major weather threats coming their way. Relative to the dissemination of information and/or warnings to the local population, it is unlikely that the experience with Matthew will provoke any internal changes. And, of course, as the global environmental conditions become increasingly destabilized, we should anticipate more frequent and severe meteorological events. Furthermore, as those with the least resources will suffer the most, disasters such as we witnessed (first-hand) from Matthew will occur again – maybe within the next 12 months. In the US, silly and inaccurate weather forecasts rarely result in loss of life or significant material damage – yet the ability to forecast weather events, track storms and predict severity is a potentially vital type of knowledge that could (somehow) be shared with populations both vulnerable and without access to such knowledge. Thousands of people died and many more lost everything from Hurricane Matthew – some of this could have been prevented.

Just some thoughts.