Effects Of Heavy Rains In Panama Will Be Long Lasting

Suffering Continues In Panama’s Rain Drenched Provinces

With at least another 24-48 hours of rain expected in Panama’s worst effected areas, flood victims are beginning to assess their losses. 8 people have been killed, 5 remain missing and at least 15% of the crops in Panama’s premier agricultural area have been lost.

Some farmers in the Chiriqui province are trying to downplay how many potato, celery, broccoli, cabbage and onion crops have been lost, over fear the government of Panama will begin importing goods to offset the loss. There are at least 20 roads that have been left impassible which means many locals growers have no way of transporting their produce to other parts of the country.

It is still not possible to reach the province of Bocas del Toro by land from Chiriqui due to the at least 92 mudslides that have covered the road. There are estimates that road will not be completely repaired for weeks, if not months. Air service to the effected areas is dependant on weather conditions and many flights have been cancelled as a result. AeroPerlas is flying food and water in to mainland Bocas del Toro and flying people out of the area. Tourists in Bocas del Toro have been sleeping in the airport, waiting for flights to get out of the area. Some hotels have run out of gas, making food preparation impossible.

The border between Costa Rica and Panama, in Changuinola is closed and there is no public transportation in the area and no drinking water. Some communities have been isolated with the civil protection agency unable to get to them. On the bright side, internet and phone service is working again, at least in Bocas del Toro.

Tap water in Bocas del Toro is undrinkable in the best of times, but since the flooding bottled water has been disappearing off the shelves. Local radio stations in the area are reporting that US military helicopters are airlifting food and supplies to the remote mountain areas. Because of difficulties accessing the hardest hit areas, many people are running out of cooking gas and diesel for generators.

At this time the best way to help the flood victims is by dropping off food, water, clothes and cleaning supplies at Parque Omar in Panama City. There are several other smaller donation drives taking place in other parts of the country as well. So far, no bank account has been set up for international donations.

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.