With
26 tropical storms and 14 hurricanes, the 2005 hurricane season
has been rated one of the most active and destructive in history.
Forecasts made at the beginning of the year by experts at the
United States National Hurricane Center (NOAA) predicted the
formation of at least 12 cyclone systems, five of these reaching
categories 3 to 5 in Saffir-Simpson scale. By mid-2005, the
forecasts were upwardly revised, predicting the formation of
up to 21 hurricanes.
The day before the hurricane season’s official end on
30 November saw the formation of the last named tropical storm
of the year, the record-breaking Epsilon. Twenty-six tropical
storms had formed since the season began in June. The naming
system established for 2005 ran out with Hurricane Wilma and
had to be extended, which is why the last five storms of the
year affecting Central America and the Caribbean were named
after letters of the Greek alphabet.
Destruction and devastation
Hurricane Katrina devastated the US Gulf Coast in August, leaving
the highest number of victims since 1928 in the country. At
least 1,200 people lost their lives and hundreds of thousands
more lost everything they owned and are still struggling to
recover from the aftermath. During the first weeks, over 100,000
Red Cross volunteers and staff were mobilised to respond to
the emergency, and more than 900 temporary shelters were set
up to help the thousands of people whose homes and livelihoods
had been destroyed by the violent winds. Katrina was followed
by Rita and Wilma, which also made landfall in the United States.
In Central America, the most destructive hurricane was Stan,
cyclone number 18 of the season. Although it reached only category
1, it left a trail of death and destruction in its wake. The
storm caused flooding and mudslides in Belize, Costa Rica, El
Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua.
The entire Central American isthmus suffered the effects of
the hurricane in one way or another.
The Red Cross disaster response system in the Americas is working
to meet the needs of some 10,250 affected families. In Guatemala
alone, the Red Cross is providing assistance to 6,400 people,
primarily through the distribution of food, water and other
emergency supplies, psychosocial support, water and sanitation
programmes, and the restoration of family links.
“The scale of the disaster is so great that emergency
relief will be required for several months to come,” explains
Nelson Castaño, coordinator of the International Federation’s
Pan-American Disaster Response Unit based in Panama. “People
are in urgent need of shelter, food, health services and sanitation.”
The Federation has drawn on its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund
to deal with the effects of this year’s hurricane season.
Almost CHF 100,000 has been made available to help National
Red Cross Societies implement their disaster response plans
and meet the basic needs of more than 170,000 people. Four international
appeals have also been launched to raise over CHF 10 million.
More than 200 Red Cross experts from around the world supported
the efforts of National Societies in affected countries to provide
emergency relief.
In one four-month period, the Federation sent 12 planes, five
lorries and three ships loaded with humanitarian aid from Panama
to the affected countries, including Jamaica, Granada, Haiti,
El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico. This comprised 340 tonnes
of emergency supplies such as plastic sheeting, blankets, hygiene
kits, kitchen sets, mosquito nets, first-aid kits and water
purifiers. Other shipments of humanitarian aid arrived in the
region thanks to the efforts of sister Red Cross Societies.
“The International Federation is continuing this work
and supporting National Societies that are still implementing
relief operations,” concludes Nelson Castaño.
“We must now focus on replenishing our reserves to maintain
the capacity of the system to respond to future disasters.”
Rebuilding lives
The hurricane season may be over but the National Red Cross
Societies of the countries affected by it continue to work in
the community to help people who have lost everything to rebuild
their lives. One of the most crucial and fundamental tasks for
the Red Cross is to help improve the disaster preparedness capacity
of communities and National Societies, so that they can respond
more effectively and efficiently to future disasters and save
more lives.
Weather experts predict that the 2006 hurricane season will
not be as destructive as in 2005.
|
 |
 |
|
|
This
little boy settles into the Houston Astrodome after a
long ride from New Orleans.(p13219)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
This
is just one of many deliveries of supplies for the New
Orleans evacuees housed in the Houston Astrodome after
hurricane Katrina.(p13217)
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Search
and rescue teams from the Guatemalan Red Cross prepare
their equipment and medical supplies.(p13378)
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Total
devastation after hurricane Stan,in Quetzaltenango,Guatemala's
second largest city.(p13379)
|
|
News
