Thursday, January 15, 2009

VOLCANO

The weather here has been really cold for us at this time of year. It is becoming a hardship for all the homeless people from the earthquake and it looks like we are not done with the earthquakes and maybe the volcano. I still don't know what my deal is with living on volcanos. We are about 20 miles as the crow flies or I should say as the lave flows, from Poas volcano.

Five more earthquakes hit Costa Rica last night and in the early morning hours. All occurred in the same general area as the massive 6.2 last Thursday. The biggest was 4.3, not a biggie, but enough to strike great fear into the people of that already badly affected area.

Poas Volcano
If that were not enough, the Poas volcano had a small eruption this morning. Thursday’s earthquake was centered only a few miles from the volcano, normally dormant. Should Poas become active once more, the implications are truly scary for the thousands who live nearby.

The town of Cinchona de Sarapiquí, Heredia has apparently simply been removed from the map of Costa Rica. The La Paz waterfalls are totally rearranged. Also gone is the San Rafael waterfall.

The river Sarapiqui has been badly damaged and is running thick with mud and dead fish. This too was a very popular attraction for those tourists who wanted some great white water rafting.

The Environment
A disaster in and of itself. The damage done to the environment in the affected area is enormous and affects not only the wildlife and the natural beauty of the area, it will have a profound affect on eco-tourism.

The earthquake has altered the biological corridor San Juan-La Selva, placing important wildlife at risk. This includes mammals, birds and reptiles. Creatures such as jaguars, lapas, tapir and monkeys are just some of the animals that will feel the effect of the earthquake.
Giselle Monge, director of the School of Environmental Sciences, National University, feels that it will take at least a decade to recover the original ecological balance in the area around Vara Blanca Poás and other sites belonging to San Juan-La Selva biological corridor. A biological corridor is a geographic area that ensures the maintenance of species diversity and ecological and evolutionary processes, facilitating conservation. The collapse of the mountain certainly caused total destruction of the habitat for some species. The Biological Corridor San Juan-La Selva is known for its large quantity of almond trees which provide habitat for the Great Green Macaw. The extensive wetlands are also considered critical to the survival of the manatee.
With the arrival of the rainy season around May-June, the now unprotected mountainsides will collapse. Soil will become saturated and unstable.

Experts are also predicting a change in the flow of rivers which certainly will affect the habitat of some species of reptiles, animals and plants growing alongside the rivers.

And although I know this pales compared to the rest, the Angel (foods) factory near La Paz has been nearly destroyed affecting a lot of workers. It also points out that even though many people survived, there is no work in the area.

Latest Numbers:
16 dead
22 missing
1,058 people in CAJA hospitals
128,135 directly affected
2,300 homeless
100 injured
Estimated damage: $100 million

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