With late November and early December known for being the wettest weeks of rainy season in Panama, it was not a surprise to see as much rain as Panama did. However, what was a surprise was that even though the mid-Pacific water temperatures have shown that this year is to be an El Niño year which could well bring with it drought in a few months, there were unusually low temperatures recorded and heavy winds. These temperature and wind changes brought about some dramatic results.

During the last week of November, the winds brought with them torrential rains and storm surges which drowned at least 11 people, destroyed four bridges, felled utility towers, caused landslides and left nearly one hundred communities in Colon, Kuna, Yala, Panama Oeste and Cocle isolated. Serious flooding the the east of Panama City, in the Chepo area, destroyed or damaged more than four hundred homes, leaving nearly fifteen hundred people homeless.

In the face of this horrific disaster, people in Panama and both national and foreign governments come to the rescue, much to the relief of the people caught up in it.

At Pargue Omar, the First Lady's Office and the SINAPROC disaster relief agency collected food and othr supplies from the generous Panamanian residents who were unaffected. The US army lent a hand by using their helicopters to rescue trapped people and transport supplies to the areas that most needed them. The Japanese were also involved, by sending over generators, tents, mattresses and water purification equipment.

The Panamanian Housing Minister, Balbina Herrera declared that people who lost their homes that were built on flood plains, that they would help with new housing solutions, however, they would not spend any money to rebuild homes that were built in vulnerable areas.

The relatively new concrete and steel bridge at the mouth of the Rio Indio, that was washed away by the floods, left part of Colon's Costa Abajo inaccessible, other than by air. Due to this, the US helicopters proved invaluable, and allowed supplies to be sent over until the bridge could be repaired. The Helicopters then doubled up as an air ambulance, taking two women who fell into labor, and a boy with kidney trouble to hospitals in Panama City. Overall the aid received by Panama was greatly appreciated and the country is beginning the clean up and repair operations.