Geneva, 5 September 2007 - On Tuesday, September 4, 2007, Hurricane Felix made landfall in north-east Nicaragua and coastal Honduras with wind speeds of up to 260 km/h (162mph), before weakening into a tropical storm. Hurricane Felix was the second Category 5 hurricane to pass through the Caribbean the past two weeks.
In Nicaragua, the storm struck the port town of Bilwi in the municipality of Puerto Cabezas, as well as the northern coast and communities on the Coco River. According to initial government reports, the storm killed four people including a newborn girl. Widespread damage is reported around the town of Puerto Cabezas, where winds tore the roofs off of homes and shelters, and damaged a church. The storm also hit Los Cabos, a popular tourist destination, generating 4.5m (14.7ft) waves and forcing the closure of airports.
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned that the storm is expected to bring heavy rains to southern Honduras and Guatemala, where hillside villages are particularly vulnerable to mudslides.
Members of the global alliance, Action by Churches Together (ACT) International, have developed disaster management and risk reduction protocols with vulnerable communities through past ACT appeals. They are presently collaborating closely with the national disaster prevention agencies in Nicaragua (SINAPRED) and Honduras (COPECO). A team from the ACT members in the region will be assessing the situation and providing further information to the alliance. Members are also planning to submit an ACT appeal following the initial assessment.
ACT members in the region:
Honduras:
Christian Aid (CA)
Christian Commission for Development (CCD)
DanChurchAid (DCA)
Lutheran World Federation (LWF)
Swiss Interchurch Aid (HEKS/EPER)
Nicaragua:
Christian Aid (CA)
Christian Medical Action (AMC)
Council of Evangelical Churches for a Denominational Alliance (CEPAD)
Interchurch Center for Theological and Social Studies (CIEETS)
Interchurch Organisation for Development Co-operation - Kerkinactie (ICCO/KIA)
Lutheran World Federation (LWF)
Lutheran World Relief (LWR) - Central America Office
Nicaraguan Lutheran Church of Faith and Hope (ILN)
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA)
Any funding indication or pledge should be communicated to Jessie Kgoroeadira, ACT Finance Officer (jkg@act-intl.org). Thank you for your attention.
For further information please contact:
ACT Director, John Nduna (phone +41 22 791 6033 or mobile phone + 41 79 203 6055) or ACT Program Officer, Michael Zschiegner, (phone +41 22 791 6420 or mobile phone +41 79 608 8133)
ACT is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide. The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.