Recovering From Nature's Wrath

While much of the United States was spared from this year's hurricane season, storm systems of historic proportions hit our neighbors in Mexico and the Caribbean. In mid-December, Tropical Storm Olga drenched areas of northwest Dominican Republic with heavy rains and severe flooding that displaced nearly 50,000 people and damaged hundreds of homes. A similar scene played out just a month earlier, when another tropical storm, Noel, ripped through the southern parts of Dominican Republic and Haiti, killing several dozen people, before moving on to Cuba and elsewhere in the Caribbean.

Floodwaters in Haiti and the Dominican Republic raged down hillsides into streets, overflowing riverbanks and uprooting trees, then overtaking homes — some of which were poorly constructed and could not withstand the storm's raging winds. A concurrent but separate storm system left much of Tabasco, Mexico, a virtual river. An estimated 300,000 residents were forced from their homes and most of the state's crops were destroyed.

As generous donations came pouring in, Catholic Relief Services was able to commit $1 million to aid Mexico and $500,000 for families in the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba. Currently in the second phase of recovery, CRS and our local partners are providing extensive agricultural rehabilitation, home reconstruction and repair, and food assistance. The following photos, provided by CRS staff and partners in the field, offer a window into the scope of loss and displacement felt by thousands of families throughout the region.