Latin America Update #44: Canicula Overwith in Central America

The mid-summer easing of the rains, better known as the Canicula, has passed in Central America. Hispaniola, and nearby islands, continue to clean-up after Hurricane Irene passed them. Venezuela is either having a major flooding event, or major problems with its rain gauges, I'm going with the latter. Precipitation continues to be plentiful in the Pampas along the Rio de la Plata.

Latin America Update #43: Two tropical systems impact the Caribbean Basin

Harvey and Irene smashed through Central America and Caribbean islands. Meanwhile moisture improves across northern South America, and in the south of the continent, seasonable rainfall continues across the Rio de la Plata basin in the Pampas.

Irene to miss Hispaniola, slam Turks and Caicos along with the Bahamas

Irene Shifts northward, Hispaniola Still at Risk

Irene heading for Lesser Antilles, Hispaniola

Tropical Storm Irene formed late yesterday just east of the Lesser Antilles. The storm is expected to pass through the Leeward Islands on its way towards the southern coast of the Dominican Republic. Irene may be a weak hurricane by then, and does have the potential to make landfall near Santo Domingo. From there Irene will continue westward over Haiti, possibly making landfall on Cuba. From there the storm will turn northward, possibly threatening the city of Miami in the United States. It is still early in Irene's development and this trajectory could change significantly. However, Santo Domingo, and all of Hispaniola are currently the most likely place to take the full brunt of the storm.

Emily swings west, now aiming for Haiti

Latin America Update #40: Rainfall Improves over N. South America, Primera Season Near Normal

Moisture has improved across much of northern South America- with the huge exception of Venezuela. In Central America, rainfall has been near normal for the Primera season, which will be wrapping up in the next few weeks. Tropical Storm Emily is preparing to make landfall in the Dominican Republic, and yet another front has brought plenty of rain across the Rio de la Plata basin.

Emily threatens Dominican Republic and Haiti

Latin America Update #33: Moisture Improving, Deficits remain in CA

Rainfall deficits remain in Central America, but they are shrinking. Meanwhile, precipitation has slacked off across all of northern South America from Colombia to French Guiana. Moisture has improved significantly in southern South America, from Chile to Brazil.

Latin America Update #27: Rains Increase in C America, decrease in the far South

Rains have increased slightly over the past week in Central America. At the same time, precipitation has all but shut off in southern South America. Dry weather persisted in northeastern South America, as did the excessive rain, in flood ravaged Colombia.

Cholera outbreak spreads to DR, US

Today a widely expected event was paired with a fairly unexpected one. The cholera outbreak is now officially reported in three countries. Haiti, where it has been contained up until this point, the Dominican Republic, which has been susceptible from the beginning, and the United States.

And Then There Was One...

There is now just one department in Haiti that has not yet reported a case of cholera, Grand'Anse. Within days of the passage of Tomas the disease spread from the central parts of the country, where the outbreak began, into the largest and most important city in the country, Port-au-Prince. Standing water and damage to infrastructure, both from Tomas and the earthquake, have facilitated the spread of the disease. At this point it is likely only a matter of time before Grand'Anse reports its first infection.

Cholera South of Port-au-Prince, on DR Border

The cholera epidemic in Haiti has begun reaching out along the southern peninsula of Haiti. Reports now confirm cholera as far west as Petit Goâve, Ouest. The disease has also been spotted along the border with the Dominican Republic in the Nord-Est department.  Grand'Anse, Nippes and Sud are the only departments that have not yet reported cholera. These are also the departments that were the furthest from the original outbreak in Artibonite and those that had some of the worst flooding from Tomas.