Here in our neighborhood in Boquete we are safe and dry. Here is a link to Boquete Weather Watchers that gives you a lot of photos of flooding in the area. Still in an emergency situation here and also in Bocas Del Toro ; our biggest issues here are people flooded out of their homes and without electricity. The brand new bridge finally opened the other day after many long months of waiting and just in the nick of time as you can see by the photos the other main bridge in town went down the river.

Our friends in Bocas have checked in – finally they have cell phone service and everyone is okay. Our friend Mario lost 2 cabanas and 1/2 of his house but people and dogs escaped just fine. We were supposed to be there for Mario’s birthday on the day of the flooding but stayed behind in Boquete due to rain. Now the road across the mountains is out of service so anyone who was on the other side is staying there – possibly for months! The road across the mountains is narrow and steep and rumor has it some of it that was already damaged but usable slid down the mountain side.

With devastation all around the area cleanup will probably take some months even though these emergency crews are very good at this work and have lots of experience. There are only so many backhoes and bulldozers available. Right now the immediate concern is gas & clean water for the Bocas area, much of the area depends on generators for power and gas is trucked in over the mountains on the only road that exists; the one that is now impassable.

Technorati Tags: , , ,