Caribbean: Hurricane Emily OCHA Situation Report No. 5

Ref: OCHA/GVA - 2005/0119

OCHA Situation Report No. 5
Hurricane Emily - The Caribbean
20 July 2005

This message is not an official hurricane warning or alert for any country.

1. According to the US National Hurricane Centre, at 10 AM CDT the centre of hurricane Emily was located near latitude 25.0 north/longitude 98.1 west or about 15 miles/25 Km northeast of San Fernando Mexico and about 75 miles/115 south-southwest of Brownsville Texas. With maximum sustained winds near 105 MPH/165 Km/PH and higher gusts, Emily is now a category two hurricane. Rapid weakening is forecast during the next 24 hours as Emily moves farther inland over higher terrain. Emily is currently moving toward the west near 10 MPH/17 Km/PH and this motion is expected to continue for the next 24 hours.

2. A hurricane warning remains in effect for northeast Mexico from south of the Texas/Mexico border southward to La Cruz Mexico.

3. The threatened coastal areas in Mexico are sparsely populated, but forecasts indicated the storm's inland track could eventually take it dangerously close to Monterrey, Mexico's third largest city with some four million inhabitants. Most of the estimated 17,000 people living in the coastal area directly in the path of Emily have been evacuated to shelters.

4. OCHA remains in close contact with the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Mexico and will revert with further information as required.

5. For tracking and further information, please refer to the Website of the National Hurricane Service in Miami at www.nhc.noaa.gov, and www.solar.ifa.hawaii.edu/Tropical/Gif/atl.latest.gif.

6. This situation report, together with further information on ongoing emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website at http://www.reliefweb.int

MAP - Caribbean: Tropical Storm Emily, 19 Jul 2005

Telephone: +41-22-917 12 34
Fax: +41-22-917 00 23
E-mail: ochagva@un.org

In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10

Desk Officers:

Mr. Ricardo Mena, Ms.Charlotta Benedek
direct Tel. +41-22-917 14 55, 917 1205
E-mail: menar@un.org, benedek@un.org

Press contact:

(GVA) Ms. Elizabeth Byrs, Direct Tel. +41-22-917 2653
(N.Y.) Ms. Stephanie Bunker, Direct Tel. +1-917-892 1669