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Caribbean: Hurricane Dennis OCHA Situation Report No. 3

Ref: OCHA/GVA - 2005/0099

OCHA Situation Report No. 3
Hurricane Dennis - The Caribbean
8 July 2005

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

1. The National Weather Center in Miami reports that at 08.00 am GMT today, Dennis has become a category IV hurricane located near latitude 20.9 North, longitude 79.5 West or about 230 miles/370 Km southeast of Havana and about 285 miles/460 Km south-southeast of Key West, Florida. It is moving toward the Northwest at 12 MPH/19 Km/PH. Maximum sustained winds are at 135 MPH/215 Km/PH, with higher gusts.

2. A hurricane warning is in effect for Cuba for the provinces of La Habana, Ciudad de la Habana, Matanzas, Villa Clara, Cien Fuegos, Sancti Spiritus, Ciego de Avila, Camaguey, Las Tunas, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Holguin and Guantanamo. A hurricane watch remains in effect for the Isle of Youth and the province of Pinar del Rio. A hurricane warning is on effect for the lower Florida Keys from the Seven Mile Bridge westward to the Dry Tortugas. A Tropical storm warning and a Hurricane Watch is in effect for the remainder of the Florida Keys east of the Seven Mile Bridge to Ocean Reef and Florida Bay.

Situation in Haiti

3. According to information provided by the UN Resident Coordinator's office in Port-au-Prince, some damages have been registered in the Département du Sud, Département de l'Ouest, Grand Anse and Département du Sud-Est, particularly in the housing and agriculture sectors. Some 1,000 people have been evacuated in different locations and are receiving assistance in temporary shelters. A bridge close to Petit-Goâve (Département de l'Ouest) on national route No. 2 collapsed, cutting the road that connects with Grand Goâve. Reportedly, up to four persons might have died as a consequence of this accident.

4. The International Federation of the Red Cross has undertaken assessment missions to the affected areas in collaboration with the Haitian Red Cross.

Situation in Jamaica

5. Even though spared by Dennis, Jamaica suffered from the storm's rain-bands that caused significant flooding in 28 communities. According to the Government's Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, close to 2,000 persons were evacuated to some 65 temporary shelters that have been opened in the parishes of Saint Thomas, Saint Andrew, Portland, Saint Mary, Clarendon and Saint Catherine. Several landslides were also registered in various parishes. So far, there are no reports of human losses.

Situation in Cuba

6. According to information provided by the Cuban Civil Defense through the UN Resident Cooridnator's office in Havana, see surges, floods, strong winds and land slides have been reported in the provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Granma and Camaguey where some damages to dwellings, power distribution lines and roads are reported. No damages have been registered in the provinces of Guantanamo and Holguin. As the hurricane is still moving over Cuban soil, further information on damages is expected.

7. The UN Country Team met today with the Cuban Civil Defense and NGOs in order to review response preparedness measures.

8. OCHA remains in close contact with the UN Resident Coordinator's Offices in Cuba, Jamaica and Haiti. The UNDAC team remains on stand-by.

9. 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.

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

MAP: Tropical storm Dennis warning map

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
E-mail: menar@un.org, benedek@un.org,
direct Tel. +41-22-917 14 55, 917 1205

Press contact:

(in GVA) Ms. Elizabeth Byrs, direct Tel. +41-22-917 26 53
(in N.Y.) Ms. Stephanie Bunker, direct Tel. +1-917-367 51 26

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