PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – MAF staff in Haiti are on standby to assist with relief efforts after Tropical Storm Isaac struck the island nation Friday and Saturday.
David Carwell, MAF Haiti program manager, reports that all MAF staff are safe and aircraft undamaged. One of MAF’s planes, a Cessna Caravan, was flown to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, prior to the storm as it could not fit in the hangar.
Carwell says the Port-au-Prince airport is officially open, though the terminal is empty of any employees or passengers. Power is out at the airport; many streets are flooded and trees are down in some places. Most businesses are closed, though Carwell noted some small grocery stores were open.
From Jacmel, south of Port-au-Prince, MAF’s Jason Krul reports greater damage, including landslides that have blocked the road between Jacmel and Haiti’s capital.
As more information becomes available MAF will assess needs to determine what response is necessary.