Rainy Season

During rainy season everything is wet... all the time. We have had storms daily including one storm that dumped 25 percent of the  total annual perception for the island.  This has happened in the last three weeks.  Storms across the Caribbean have sucked our wind away and delivered rain storms. We had  thunder and lightening that have woken up the entire island in the dead of night.  Everyone is talking about the storms.

Rick and I have some great chats at 4:00 am after being startled awake by the storms.   

Flooding has occurred all over Bonaire. The island has no drainage system no do they have storm water plans.  As a result, the sediments, contamination and waste flow right into the ocean.  This is a picture of our coastline after a storm event showing the run off flowing into the sea affecting the coral reef.

Another view shows the extent of the flooding and the spillage into the sea. The land is fully saturated so run off is inevitable.

Roads have been closed.  Every low spot is full of water. They have closed schools and the hospital went on emergency procedures only because the front of the hospital which is a parking lot is flooded and has not receded.  Flights from Curacao have tried landing at the Bonaire airport and have had to return because the storms were so bad, We have had to drain water from our swimming pool twice because the rains have filled it to the brim.

During the rainy season we often get wind reversals.  The wind usually blows from east to west.  When it reverses and blows west to east it wreaks havoc with the shoreline.  The wave action takes away the sand on the beaches and slams against sea walls in town. 

We are hopeful that our usual idyllic weather returns soon. We are ready to dry out.