Here in the Colonial Zone it started raining on Monday. We got about 15 to 20 minutes of hard rain around 6PM. The roads they have been working on with the Renovada Ciudad Colonial Project flooded immediately. The roads that are completed and in service were filled with water. The new drain system could not handle the small downpour. The water was flowing past the drains and down the street. (Please make sure to check the update posted on 7-23-2014 at the end of this post)
Rain Isabel la Católica 6PM
Rain Isabel la Catolica 6PM
The power went out and at the same time the electric lines were waving outside my window. I had to go out to see what was happening. It was an incredible and unbelievable sight.
The grounds got saturated with water. The soft mud could not support the weight of the electrical poles. There is nothing there to hold these large poles in place as the workers have removed all the earth surrounding them.
What did the engineers expect? It does not take an engineering degree to know that these tall poles will fall with nothing to hold them up.
High-power electric poles fall without support
High-power electric poles fall without support
The Bomberos came.
The Police Came.
The Electric Company came.
The TV reporters came.
They all came.
They all looked
They all left.
They all did nothing.
This is what the streets of the Colonial City from Parque Colon down looked like last night.
Night without lights
This morning my building has electricity. I do not know how or why as the lines are still down and others do not have electricity.
It is now 7:45AM and there is not one person working to remedy the problem. There is not one company here even looking to see what can be done.
High-Tension power lines are laying on wet mud covered what used to be roads.
Poles are leaving on homes and businesses.
No one is working.
We have been abandoned.
The CODIA Building on Padre Billini.
Poles against the CODIA building.
Poles against the CODIA building.
High power electric lines all down at Plaza Padre Billini on Meriño and Padre Billini.
Calle Meriño at Plaza Padre Billini
Calle Meriño at Plaza Padre Billini
Calle Meriño at Plaza Padre Billini
Corner of Padre Billini and Meriño
Calle Padre Billini poles
The corner of Padre Billini and Arzbispo Meriño at Plaza Padre Billini, Plaza Bartolomé de las Casas and Casa del Tostado.
Poles all down at the corner of Padre Billini and Meriño
If this disaster happened with about 15 minutes of rain with no winds, only a hard short spurt of rain.
Tropical Depression 2 seems to be headed our way. Even if it does not turn into a hurricane we will get rains. Days of rains not just a 15 minute downpour.
What will happen to our Zona Colonial if this happens?
I am afraid to even think about it. A true disaster waiting to happen…
But, on a more positive note – The sun rise over the Zona Colonial at Fortaleza Ozama was spectacular this morning.
Sun rise over Fortaleza Ozama.
UPDATE – Wednesday morning, July 23, 2014
The electric company, EDEESTE, came at 9AM and started working along with the company taking care of the renovations of the Colonial Zone. They up-righted the downed poles and put cement around them to hold them in place. They replaced the poles that needed replaced. They worked hard all day and into the night.
Repairing the downed poles- Calle Padre Billini
EDEESTE repairing downed poles at Arz. Meriño and Padre Billini
EDEESTE repairing downed poles at Arz. Meriño and Padre Billini
They had to cut this wonderful tree. Note the burn marks on the street from where the transformer fell.
The electricity came on around 10PM and I still heard the men working after that.
We are all so blessed that no one got hurt when this happened. Also, a big thank you to EDEESTE for taking care of this problem so fast and not making it like the month before where the corner of Padre Billini and Isabel la Católica were without electricity for 6 days.
Today all is back to normal. The work continues on the renewing of the Colonial Zone.
Calle Padre Billini. Teli, Buenagente and Zippy enjoying the dirt roads of the Colonial Zone.
Picture collection of the Renovada Ciudad Colonial – Remodeling of the Zona Colonial – updated often with new pictures.
