Re: current weather
SBL - it's typical of El Niño, but this year is the most severe drought in at least 40 years. A milder one 10 years ago caused widespead malnutrition problems, and led to the government's policy of stockpiling rice and other grains. Thanks to that, we won't have widespread starvation issues, but the price of food is really skyrocketing. I used to pay $25 for a 50-lb sack of potatoes, and the price on Monday when I went to the market was upwards of $40, and bidding wars were starting over what little there was. Ecuador is a food-sovereign nation, which is usually a good thing, but this year it's biting us.
And yeah, we're 100% hydro. Four large dams provide all the power for the country. Paute (on the coast) and Cuenca (in the south sierra) are currently dry - there hasn't been enough rain to feed the rivers they're on. San Francisco, on the upper Rio Pastaza, has permanent silt issues, and the dam in Ibarra is running on very low reservoir. It's so bad that we're buying excess power from Peru at this point - where we used to sell them ours! Everybody in the country is praying for rain, even those in areas that traditionally flood in the rainy season - they're dry as well.
Today in Ambato, it looks like it will hit 40 C with sustained 30 kph winds. All we need now is for Tungurahua to start erupting again!
|