Response Actions, Recovery and Rehabilitation Needs
Report Prepared by the Coordinating Unit of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA)
1.0 THE EVENT
Hurricane Dean impacted several of CDERA Participating States during the period Friday August 17 to Tuesday August 21, 2007. Dean's passage through the Eastern Caribbean was as a Category 2 Hurricane, strengthening to a Category 4 as it moved across Jamaica and reaching the level of Category 5 as it impacted Belize.
During the passage of Dean through the islands of the Lesser Antilles, maximum sustained winds were near 100 mph (169 km/hr) with higher gusts. Hurricane force winds extended outward up to 25 miles (35 km) from the centre and Tropical force winds extended outward up to 140 miles (220 km).
On Sunday August 19, 2007 during its passage across southern Jamaica, Dean's maximum sustained winds were near 145 mph (230 km/hr). However, before Dean made landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula it strengthened to a Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 165 mph (265 km/hr), hurricane force winds extending outward up to 65 miles (105km) from the centre and Tropical force winds extended outward up to 205 miles (330 km).
1.1 Participating States Affected
The following CDERA Participating States activated their response systems:
- Saint Lucia
- Dominica
- Jamaica
- Belize
- Barbados
- Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
- Grenada
Belize, Dominica, Jamaica and Saint Lucia were affected by the hurricane. Barbados, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines and Grenada experienced conditions of high winds, rains and rough seas associated with the system. Whilst they were not directly impacted by Hurricane Dean, they were able to activate their National Response Plans and test some of their procedures.
Haiti and Martinique were affected by Dean but are not members of CDERA and would therefore not be directly involved in CDERA's response.