The
first hurricane of the Atlantic storm season, Dean – which
started as a category 2 hurricane – lashed the islands
of St Lucia, Martinique and Dominica on Friday causing devastation
as it made its way into the Caribbean Sea.
With winds near 100 mph (160 kilometers) as it passed near the
islands on its way across the Lesser Antilles, Dean blew off
roofs and caused island wide power outages in St Lucia and Dominica.
Kathleen Pinard Byrne, director general, Dominica Red Cross
said the island started experiencing heavy winds and rain from
2 am on Friday. She said a number of people in rural districts
lost roofs and there were several landslides throughout the
island which claimed the lives of two persons. The country’s
banana industry has also been severely affected. Power lines
were knocked down and there was a disruption in the water supply.
“There was so much rain that the rivers burst their banks
and caused severe flooding in several communities. These communities
have been temporarily isolated and the government is trying
to make access these communities.”
Pinard Byrne said the Dominica Red Cross has not been given
the all clear to start its relief operations, but will start
distributing tarpualins and other relief items on Saturday after
they meet with the National Emergency Planning Organisation
(NEPO). She noted that the Red Cross will launch an appeal to
assist those who were affected by the hurricane early next week.
Terry Gaillard, director general, St Lucia Red Cross said they
too were waiting for the all clear from their local government
to start doing assessments. She said while most of the damage
was done in the north of the island, there was no electricity
throughout the country. Gaillard also noted that there were
many fallen trees across many of the main roads making parts
of the country in accessible. She added that there were reports
of some houses losing their roofs.
The current forecast track shows Dean strengthening as it moves
west, on a path to the south of Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic,
Haiti and Cuba. Dean is now a hurricane of Category 3 strength,
with winds of at least 111 mph.
Tropical storm warnings continue for the U.S. Virgin Islands,
Puerto Rico, Grenada, Saba, St. Eustatius, Montserrat, Antigua,
Nevis, St. Kitts, Barbuda, St. Maarten and Anguilla. A tropical
storm watch was also issued for the southern coast of the Dominican
Republic, which means tropical storm conditions are possible
there within 36 hours.
By Sunday, forecasters expect Dean to reach Category 4 status,
with winds in excess of 131 mph, as it nears Jamaica. The current
forecast path shows the storm hitting Mexico's Yucatan peninsula
on Monday -- still as a Category 4 storm -- then weakening and
re-entering the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico as a Category
2 storm.
On Saturday, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies already released 150,000 Swiss francs from
its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund to respond to the first needs.
More action will be taken early next week.
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Hurricane
Dean, pictured moving west in the Caribbean Sea in this
satellite photograph taken on August 18, 2007. (REUTERS/Ho
New/courtesy www.alertnet.org)
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