The
Jamaica Red Cross estimates that tens of thousands of people
are threatened by Hurricane Ivan. Voluntary evacuations have
begun in all high risk areas. In coordination with the government’s
Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management the
Jamaica Red Cross is charged with managing all 1,000 community
shelters opened across the island.
All the Red Cross branches, 12,000 volunteers and Red Cross
community Disaster Response Teams (CDRTs) have been placed on
alert. The CDRTs, trained in light search and rescue, emergency
first aid and rapid assessment, have also begun been working
in high risk communities making residents aware of the threat
Hurricane Ivan poses and encouraging them to seek safety at
designated community shelters.
The Jamaica Red Cross estimates that there are sufficient food
stocks on the island for 4-5 days. It has purchased food locally
(rice, cooking oil, powdered milk, canned sardines and dried
soup mix) and has pre-deployed it in the north of the country.
Jamaica is bracing itself as Hurricane Ivan moves towards the
island where a hurricane warning remains in effect, reports
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Ivan is moving toward the west-northwest at 20 km/hr and is
expected to hit Jamaica today, Friday September 10.
Winds are reaching 240 km/hr making Ivan a category 4 hurricane
which could become category 5 as it approaches Jamaica. Storm
surge flooding of 1 to 1.5 meters above normal tidal levels
is expected. Rainfall could reach between 15 to 25 centimeters
possibly causing deadly flash floods and mudslides.
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The
calm before the storm. A Jamaica Red Cross volunteer looks
across the downtown water front in search of Hurricane
Ivan in the distance (p11947)
Jamaica Red Cross volunteer Raquel Bremmer speaks with
residents taking shelter in National Arena. The Red Cross
is managing 1,000 shelters across the country (p11948)
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