Life in Guatemala: the rainy season

Everyone in Guatemala dreads the rainy season. It doesn't take long for the roads to flood and you're walking in ankle deep water...in flip flops.

But on a more serious note, the rainy season in Guatemala can be a source of much pain and disaster.  Typically, the rain begins in May and lasts until October.  However, people are seeing changes in the normal cycles and the rain has been coming earlier.  It usually rains anywhere from an hour to a few hours each afternoon/evening.  But again, this can vary greatly.  Panajachel, and many of the towns around Lake Atitlan, are located in a basin and sit at the bottom of several surrounding mountains.  This makes these towns very prone to flooding and mudslides during the rain.

The rainy season officially started a few weeks ago (although it rained quite a bit in April).  For the first few days all the water coming out of our faucets (including our shower) was brown.  It smelled bad and was obviously bad for our health.  It's also not uncommon to have frequent power outages.  Just today at work we had no power for a few hours.  And most everything becomes damp.  Clothes, shoes, sheets...it all feels damp and easily grows mold.  And that's just from my personal experience, and I live in a well-built home.  One cannot imagine the dampness and mold growing in the homes built of aluminum and mud.  It has made us so thankful for a home that keeps us dry.

When we came in September we went through a month of normal rain each day.  But in early October a tropical storm hit and we got a taste of a bad rainy season.  It rained continuously for 4 days: all day and all night.  Panajachel's tiny river, which is usually only a few feet deep at best, grew quickly.  The dirty, brown water created fast currents that were very dangerous.  Several homes that were built close to the banks of the river were in serious danger of collapsing and some actually did, as pictured below.  Most people with homes this close to the river have to abandon their homes during these difficult times.  They often have no where else to go, so the town gymnasium becomes a temporary shelter.

There are 2 bridges that cross this river, but one was completely washed out in October.

Homes that aren't swept into the river are in danger of flooding.  Muddy water pours down from the mountains surrounding Pana and mudslides become a very real threat.  A few years ago there was a mudslide outside of Santiago that killed almost 300 people.  Homes that can withstand the flooding are filled with mud.  Other homes collapse under the stress.

We only have 2 roads that enter Panajachel.  If one of them is forced to close, which is not uncommon during the rainy season, then the other is used only for emergencies.  Mudslides often cause rock slides, and last October there was a boulder the size of a car that fell in the middle of one of our streets.  They had to use dynamite to break it open and remove it.

The rainy season is difficult on everyone, but it's a terrible risk for poor families who don't have adequate shelter. Their health, safety, and few material belongings are all at great risk. Many homes have dirt floors, which becomes mud in the rain and children who sleep on the floor easily get cold and sick. Sometimes it's difficult to sleep in our warm, dry bed at night thinking of how many families are wet and cold. So the next time it rains, let's all send up a prayer for those who are in the midst of the rainy season and without adequate shelter.