Saint Barthélemy (France)
OVERVIEW
Hurricane Irma first made landfall on the northeast Caribbean islands during the early hours local time of 6 September. Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico, St Barthélemy, St. Martin, Sint Maarten, Turks and Caicos, and the US Virgin Islands were all affected. 169,000 people and 75,000 buildings were exposed to wind speeds higher than 252km/h. 5.5 million people lived in areas exposed to winds in excess of 120km/h. At least 37 people have been reported dead.
Hurricane Maria arrives in a context where several Caribbean islands are still working to respond to the devastation and anguish arising from Hurricane Irma earlier this month. Taking into account the impact that Maria has already had on the island of Dominica, Télécoms Sans Frontières is ready to respond.
This bulletin is being issued for information only; it reflects the current situation and details available at this time. Information bulletins no.1, 2, 3 and 4 are available here. This will be the last information update specifically related to Hurricane Irma.
The Situation
HIGHLIGHTS
On the forecast track of Hurricane Maria, currently a category 4 Hurricane, the center of the storm will move across the Leeward Islands late today and tonight, bringing heavy rain and wind to islands that were already impacted by Hurricane Irma.
In Anguilla, the Ann-Victoria Smith Polyclinic (Welches Polyclinic) is operational and will absorb patients of the Valley Health Center and Dental Unit which has closed due to major damage.
Según el ultimo boletín de las autoridades climáticas en Estados Unidos, el huracán María se convirtió potencialmente en un fenómeno natural "catastrófico categoría cinco"
.María alcanzó vientos de hasta 160 mph (260 km / h).
En las horas de la tarde del lunes, el Centro Nacional de Huracanes (NHC), por sus siglas en inglés, reportó que el huracán María se convertía en "extremadamente peligroso subiendo a categoría cuatro".
Télécoms Sans Frontières deployed a team to the Dominican Republic on 18th September in preparation for Hurricane Maria.
With maximum sustained wind speeds of up to 140 kts (259 km/h), Maria wreaks havoc in the wake of Hurricane Irma, making landfall in the Caribbean on 18th September at 1800 hrs UTC.
In the Dominican Republic, TSF has participated in a coordination meeting with the Emergency Operations Centre (COE) and dispatched satellite phones to its workers to ensure immediate communications capacity in the minutes following the passage of Maria.
On 18 September 2017, the Foreign Minister of Thailand attended the High-level Meeting on Hurricane Irma co-hosted by the United Nations Secretary-General and the President of the General Assembly; the high-level meeting aims to gain high-level political attention to the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma, secure commitment to support countries and people affected, and highlighting the need for building resilient communities to natural disasters, including those impacted by climate change.
Highlights
Humanitarian actors have been forced to shift gears from response to Irma to prepare for “potentially catastrophic ” category 5 hurricane, Maria .
Heavy rainfall could cause flash floods and mudslides in islands recovering from Irma’s onslaught such as Sint Maarten, Barbuda and Anguilla. Evacuation centres are being prepared.
More than 2.1 million people in Cuba have been targeted by a US$ 55. 8 million Plan of Action to provide assistance to the most affected by Irma.
Las islas del este del Caribe, devastadas por Irma hace menos de dos semanas, se preparan para enfrentar otro potencial desastre, con la llegada del huracán María, que podría tocar tierra en las Islas de Barlovento el lunes por la noche convertido en un potente meteoro.
A las 2:00 a.m. del lunes, el centro del huracán María se localizaba 145 kilómetros al noreste de Barbados y 270 kms al este suroeste de Dominica, con vientos máximos sostenidos de 150 kph.
(New York 17 September 2017): The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, today allocated US$10 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to enable humanitarians to help tens of thousands of people in need of assistance following the devastating category five storm, Hurricane Irma.
In a hurricane season that just will not quit, forecasters are keeping their eyes on three storms, including one threatening the Caribbean islands clobbered by Hurricane Irma just a little over a week ago.
Forecasters upgraded Tropical Storm Maria to a hurricane Sunday as the storm heads toward the Leeward Islands.
Maria is following the same path as Irma. Hurricane warnings and watches are out for some of the islands that that saw devastating damage from Irma, including Guadeloupe, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, and St. Martin and St. Barthelemy.
Highlights
• Shortage of food and potable water in Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos - some of the most affected by Hurricane Irma continues to be of concern.
• A Regional Response Plan (RRP) to raise US$ 27 million to address the urgent needs of the most vulnerable people affected by Hurricane Irma was launched on 15 September.
• Severely limited communications are hampering the coordination of relief supplies in Turks and Caicos and increasing anxiety among people.
Devastation and the extensive breakdown of essential services have followed Hurricane Irma, the most powerful hurricane ever recorded over the Atlantic. The Category 5 hurricane wrought havoc on many of the Caribbean islands, with maximum sustained winds of 296 km/h bringing heavy rains and causing deadly waves. Those winds lasted for 37 hours, making Irma the longest-lived storm of that intensity anywhere in the world for at least the past 50 years, according to the United Kingdom Met Office.
SUMMARY
Hurricane Irma, as category 5 hurricane, traversed the Atlantic bringing maximum sustained winds of 296 km/h and heavy rains to the Leeward Islands. The most heavily impacted islands are Anguilla,
Washington, DC, September 14, 2017 (PAHO / WHO) - Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) experts are supporting efforts to restore health services in the islands most affected by Hurricane Irma, with the deployment of health infrastructure experts, sanitary engineers, epidemiologists, and others, in collaboration with the affected countries.
HIGHLIGHTS
Islands that suffered extensive damage to infrastructure continue to have challenges restoring electricity and clean water which is further complicated by logistical challenges.
As some people continue to be in shelters more than a week after the passage of Hurricane Irma, there is need to continue access to clean water and improve sanitary conditions at the shelters.
In Cuba, two hospitals in Havana were evacuated and latest reports indicate that 516 hospitals and policlinics have been damaged.
The United Arab Emirates, UAE, has provided an emergency assistance worth AED36.7 million (US$10 million) to aid those affected by Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean states.
Ordered by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the humanitarian gesture aims to assist and enable international relief efforts to mitigate the suffering of the people on the Caribbean islands. The hurricane wreaked havoc on vital infrastructure and caused human loss.
