Still
reeling from the effects of Hurricane Ivan which ripped through
the Caribbean last year, Jamaica, Haiti and the Cayman Islands
have both been put on hurricane watch as “Dennis”
the fourth storm of the 2005 Atlantic season makes it way to
the islands.
Packing sustained winds near 112 kph that fell to 104 kph late
afternoon, Dennis could dump up to 30.5 centimetres of rain
over mountains in its path, including Jamaica’s coffee-producing
Blue Mountains, according to the US National Hurricane Centre
in Miami.
In Jamaica, some rural communities on the east of the island
including St Thomas, Portland and St Mary have been cut off
by heavy flood waters. Authorities have planned to fly over
these affected communities to search for stranded villagers.
Jamaica has already been experiencing thunder-storms island
wide and residents living in low lying areas as well as fishing
communities have been asked to seek higher ground.
Ms Ruth Chisholm, director of emergency services and communication
in the Jamaica Red Cross (JRC) said hurricane Dennis was expected
to make landfall at about 12 pm on Thursday. She said the affected
communities so far were located in the parish of St Thomas and
that some of the main roads in Morant Bay are inaccessible mainly
because of flooding. She estimates that about four communities
have been cut off.
“However, in those communities that have been cut off,
there is at least one Community Disaster Response Team (CDRT)
which knows the area better than anyone else. We have been in
contact with the team leader and we are trying to figure out
a way to get into the community.” The Red Cross branch
in that community has been pre-positioned with relief items
and the branches in nearby Kingston and St Andrew are on standby
to render any assistance that may be necessary.
Additionally, CDRTs and National Intervention Teams (NITs) have
been mobilized in all communities that have been affected so
far. Ms Chisholm said about 25 shelters have been opened in
St Thomas, Westmoreland, St Mary, Claredon and St Andrew and
the Red Cross has pre-positioned shelters managers. A number
of families have already been relocated to the shelters.
Mrs Jondo Obi, director general of the Cayman Islands Red Cross
(CIRC) said that they were going to open their shelter at 5
pm on Thursday afternoon. She said that so far they were currently
monitoring the movement of Dennis. The CIRC disaster response
system which has about 120 volunteers has already been activated.
Schools have been closed and government offices will be closed
at 1 pm. Business enterprises have been encouraged to do the
same.
Ivan ripped through the Caribbean for more than a week in September
2004 with power and destruction unseen in the region in the
last ten years. Dubbed ‘Ivan the Terrible', the hurricane
wreaked havoc in the islands of Grenada, Tobago, Barbados, St
Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica and the Cayman
Islands before making its way to Cuba and Florida.
The islands that suffered the most damage were Grenada, Jamaica
and the Cayman Islands. It damaged homes, buildings and infrastructure,
cut off utilities and claimed at least 100 lives. Many more
were placed at risk from disease, contaminated drinking water
and food shortages.
In Haiti, Dennis is threatening the southern part of the island
where there are two major populated communities called Département
du Sud and Grand Anse. The area is considered to be highly vulnerable
to flooding. Access roads are likely to be cut if rainfall exceeds
average level. Costal villages are being evacuated and approximately
300 Haitian Red Cross volunteers have been mobilized in Les
Cayes and are ready to work on evacuation of the most vulnerable
populations.
Hurricane Jeanne caused massive destruction in Haiti last year
when it triggered flooding and mudslides, about 1,500 people
were killed, 900 missing and presumed dead and 200,000 left
homeless.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
(Federation) has released
250,000 Swiss francs from its Disaster Response Emergency Fund
(DREF) to support the immediate response.
The Pan American Disaster Response Unit (PADRU) is deploying
a disaster management delegate to Haiti and other delegates
have been mobilized and are ready to be deployed to the other
islands. PADRU is also in the process of pre-enlisting a charter
flight to Haiti with relief for 1,000 families. Other flights
can be deployed with the same items to Jamaica and Cayman Islands
if necessary.
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Hurricane
Dennis hits Haiti and moves on towards Jamaica. (REUTERS/Courtesy
of www.alertnet.org)
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After
Hurricane Ivan battered Jamaica last year, Jamaicans are
taking no chances this year and are securing their property
as Dennis makes it way to the island. (p13008)
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