It's raining, it's pouring...

Yes, part of this Dominican Life is the hurricane season, and here it is again. It starts on June1st and goes on through the end of November, which means a whopping half of the year is hurricane season. The good news is that normally, early and late season aren't too bad. Most of the intense rains seem to come around August and September.

You may be familiar with tropical rains if you live in Florida. They are the kind of rains that can cause city-wide floods in a matter of minutes. An umbrella will keep your hair dry, but don't count on your clothes or shoes remaining dry, because these storms usually come with driving winds.

Once the rain is over, it generally means a pleasant temperature for a while, especially if it is at night. It may go as low as 70º and people will be breaking out the jackets. No kidding. After living here for several years, I'm liable to get mine out too!

The capital city, Santo Domingo, has horrible drainage problems. Part of this is probably just that the system was never designed for this city with out of control growth. But there is also the issue that people throw so much garbage and trash on the street. When it begins to rain, the gutters take it down to the drain, where it clogs, and the street floods. One community I work in has a custom. I have seen this with my own eyes. When it rains hard for about ten minutes, the streets of that area become flash floods, and rushing rivers. The inhabitants take their garbage outside and throw it in the "river" to have it wash away toward the canal that is a few blocks away. I asked one woman about it and she told me that she has lived in the area more than twenty years, and they've always done it this way.

The rains cause flooded streets, which cause horrendous traffic jams. If you happen to be on foot, you may find yourself having to wade across a flooded street.

Hurricanes, rains, and floods...part of this Dominican Life.