The President Michel Martelly who will visit this Sunday, May 22, in the "City of Independence" (1), deplores the burning of the municipal market of Gonaïves last Friday and shares the pain of the victims of this tragedy. Michel Martelly heard of this drama Mario Andresol, the Director of the National Police of Haiti (PNH), and requests that an investigation be opened without delay, to determine the cause of the fire and punish the possible guilty.

The Head of State also wishes to remind to the population that the Permanent Secretariat for Risk Management and Disaster (SPGRD) has maintained the meteorological alert at the level orange to heavy rains with risk of river flood, rockfalls, landslide, collapse and flooding for all departments. He asks to the population to remain vigilant and to follow the instructions of SPGRD to avoid loss of life.

The climatic situation does not concern only the President Martelly, last Friday, Bill Read, the director of the National Hurricane Center declared that Haiti's ability to respond to tropical storms remains his greatest concern for the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season (2), adding that he wasn't sure Haiti had enough shelters if the earthquake-stricken Caribbean country took a direct hit from a hurricane.

(1) Learn more about the city of Gonaïves :

The city of Gonaives was founded in 1422 by Indians they named it "Gonaibo" (to designate a locality of caciquat of the Maguana). The population of the city of Gonaïves is estimated at about 300,000 inhabitants. For all Haitian, Gonaïves is the "City of Independence" since it is on the place d’Armes, in the shade of the palm of the freedom, that was proclaimed the country's independence, January 1, 1804. The official act was written and signed at the habitation Vernet. Today, at the corner of the streets Liberté and Toussaint-Louverture is situated, the memorial of independence.

(2) Hurricane names for 2011 season :

Les noms des ouragans pour cette année sont : Arlene, Bret, Cindy, Don, Emily, Franklin, Gert, Harvey, Irene, Jose, Katia, Lee, Maria, Nate, Ophelia, Philippe, Rina, Sean, Tammy, Vince, Whitney.

HL/ HaitiLibre