9781422286296

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Haiti

it block the breezes. Many wealthier Haitians live on higher ground, where temperatures are somewhat cooler. From May through November, rainfall is copious. Showers can be sudden, often arriving in the late afternoon. From December through March, however, Haiti is mostly dry and temperatures are more moderate. August and September are dangerous months in Haiti— hurricane season. These fierce storms, carrying winds as high as 150 miles (241 km) per hour, drop huge amounts of rain and can flatten buildings and trees. In 1963, Hurricane Flora killed more than 2,500 Haitians. As the storm blew into the island, toppling homes and buildings, the massive rainfall caused mudslides down the mountains. Many of the dead were buried in the mud. In 1998, Hurricane Georges left more than 160,000 Haitians homeless. Plants and Animals The overuse of Haiti’s land for farming and the removal of most of its forests have caused the elimination of some species of plant and animal life. When Columbus arrived in Hispaniola, he found vast forests of pine, oak, redwood, and mahogany; banana groves; plains full of cacti and grasses; and marshes of wild ginger. Today, Haiti’s woodland region is almost entirely gone. Few countries in the world have experienced environmental devastation as severe. Hardwood trees now grow only on the highest reaches of Haiti’s peaks. But fruit trees—including oranges, cherries, and avocados—can still be found. Flowering shrubs such as orchids also lend beauty to the land. Deforestation has claimed the habitat of numerous birds, including flamingos, falcons, and spotted sandpipers. Haiti remains home to a variety