Hurricane Matthew’s passage through the Dominican Republic

Hurricane Matthew is in the news for its devastating effects, as it is considered the most powerful hurricane in the Atlantic in the last decade.

The storm originated in the Barbados Islands and became a hurricane as it passed through Curaçao. It quickly became a Category 2 hurricane and as it turned north it increased in power until it reached its maximum level, Category 5, with winds of 265 kilometers per hour.

The massive storm, which is now heading towards Florida (USA), hit Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Cuba, causing extensive property damage and flooding.

The data is currently being evaluated, but what is clear is that it has caused extensive flooding in Haiti and the southwest of the Dominican Republic.

In the municipality of Polo and specifically in our farms, the damage has been minimal, with some tall trees (Guamas and Poppy) fallen or with broken branches. We have also observed quite a few fallen banana plants (this is quite common, since the root is superficial and not very deep). As far as coffee is concerned, the damage has been minimal, if not non-existent, because coffee has the advantage of having deep roots and the weight of its mass is relatively low, so it is very difficult for it to fall. What has been caused is the fall of some ripe coffee fruits, which we will proceed to collect these in the coming days. The most notable thing is the destruction of secondary roads and local paths, which are totally inaccessible.

In the factory and nursery, an area quite prone to flooding, we had no problems, since we carried out some work to channel rainwater, and we were able to observe the proper functioning of these drains.