Date: Wed, 6 Sep 95 21:14:15 EDT
From: Emergency Information Administrator
Subject: Caribbean: Hurricane OFDA-02
U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (USAID)
BUREAU FOR HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE (BHR)
OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA)
CARIBBEAN - Hurricane
Fact Sheet #2 September 6, 1995
Note: The last situation report was dated September 5, 1995.
Background: Hurricane Luis is moving across the Caribbean's
northern leeward islands. A hurricane warning is in effect for
the northeast islands from Guadeloupe to Puerto Rico. A tropical
storm warning is in effect for Martinique and Dominica. Luis has
a diameter of approximately 700 miles. Its maximum sustained
winds have decreased to 130 miles-per-hour (mph) with gusts up to
150 mph. Hurricane and tropical storm force winds extend 140
miles and 230 miles, respectively, outward from its center. Luis
is moving in a northwesterly direction at 9 mph. Luis is
expected to maintain this speed and direction today. Experts
have not reached a consensus on the hurricane's track beyond
that. In the meantime, storm tides measuring up to nine feet in
height have been reported and rainfall of ten to twelve inches
can be expected along Luis' path.
Numbers Affected: Estimates of the number of people affected
currently are not available although it is safe to assume that
the entire populations of the northern leeward islands are
threatened by Hurricane Luis.
Current Situation: As of 4:00 am EDT today, Hurricane Luis was
located approximately 40 miles northeast of the island of Anegada
in the British Virgin Islands. It has cleared the islands making
up the southern portion of the affected area, including
Montserrat, Dominica, St. Kitts & Nevis and Antigua. The island
of Antigua has been damaged extensively. The pharmacy and
surgery wards of the island's public hospital were destroyed and
its roof taken off. Thousands of houses, several health posts
and schools were damaged or destroyed. Its international airport
is open but navigational equipment is not functioning, there is
no electric power, no water and no telephonic communication. In
addition, two hotels were washed into the sea and destroyed.
Montserrat, which had 90% of its housing destroyed by Hurricane
Hugo in 1989 and currently is threatened by a volcanic eruption,
emerged from Hurricane Luis with widespread but manageable
damage. Its airport is closed. Dominica is without telephonic
communication. Its airport also is closed and numerous
landslides have been reported. St. Kitts & Nevis are reporting
widespread but manageable damage overall. However, both of its
hospitals lost part of their roofs and several wards will be out
of operation until temporary roofing can be constructed. Several
regional disaster response coordinators plan to undertake aerial
surveys of Antigua, Montserrat, Dominica, St. Kitts & Nevis this
morning. If possible, the group will land briefly in St. Kitts,
where the airport is open.
Hurricane Luis no longer is a threat to Haiti, the Dominican
Republic and Jamaica. However, it currently is thrashing the
British and U.S. Virgin Islands as well as Puerto Rico with high
winds and thunderstorms. This is expected to continue into
tonight.
U.S. Government (USG) Assistance: The USG is monitoring
Hurricane Luis closely and is prepared to provide immediate
assistance once the needs have been identified by an assessment
and a disaster has been declared. BHR/OFDA expects to receive a
disaster declaration today from the U.S. Embassy in Barbados,
which represents the USG in the region. BHR/OFDA, the USG's
foreign disaster assistance arm, will manage the provision of
emergency aid to all non-U.S. islands affected by Hurricane Luis.
Two BHR/OFDA disaster response experts and two communications
experts from Florida's Metro Dade Fire Department met with their
regional counterparts and USG personnel today in Barbados. The
BHR/OFDA assessment team will fly to Antigua this afternoon to
undertake a needs assessment and to recommend an appropriate USG
response. The Regional Disaster Advisor for USAID's Regional
Housing and Urban Development Office (RHUDO) in Jamaica will join
them tomorrow in Antigua. BHR/OFDA is assembling a plane load of
blankets, four 3,000-gallon water containers, 1,005 five-gallon
water jugs, chain saws, gloves, tents and plastic sheeting to be
used as temporary shelter. This air shipment will arrive in
Antigua early tomorrow morning. More BHR/OFDA disaster response
experts are on stand-by, should their services be required.
As the USG's domestic disaster responder, the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) is in charge of providing assistance to
the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands,
only. A Washington-based BHR/OFDA disaster specialist has been
assigned to FEMA to serve as a liaison between the two USG
disaster responders. FEMA has dispatched its own team to the
region to monitor the situation and make recommendations on
assistance to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. FEMA
maintains a cache of plastic sheeting for temporary shelter
purposes in BHR/OFDA's Panama stockpile. BHR/OFDA will assist
FEMA in moving these commodities should they be required.
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