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Latin America and the Caribbean - Hurricane Season 2005 Fact Sheet #2, Fiscal Year (FY) 2006

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BACKGROUND
The 2005 hurricane season brought an unprecedented 13 hurricanes to date, of which three -- Stan, Wilma, and Beta -- caused devastation in parts of Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Cuba, and the Bahamas. In July, hurricanes Dennis and Emily impacted Cuba, Haiti, and Grenada.

On July 8, Hurricane Dennis made landfall in central Cuba bringing sustained winds of up to 150 mph and triggering sea surges, floods, landslides, and heavy rains which affected Haiti as well.

On July 14, Hurricane Emily passed near Grenada as a category one hurricane with 90 mile per hour winds.

On October 4, Hurricane Stan made landfall south of Veracruz, Mexico, with sustained winds of 80 miles per hour, before weakening to a tropical storm and generating severe flooding across southern Mexico and Central America.

Hurricane Wilma hovered for more than 24 hours near the Yucatan Peninsula before making landfall in Cozumel, Mexico, on October 22, as a category four hurricane.

Hurricane Beta made landfall on October 30, near Karabal and Sandy Bay, Nicaragua, as a category two hurricane.

NUMBERS AT A GLANCE SOURCE
Nicaragua 4,780 in shelters (Stan)
2,580 displaced, 506 damaged/destroyed homes (Beta)
Government of Nicaragua - November 3
Guatemala 669 dead, 31,971 in shelters, 474,928 directly affected and/or displaced (Stan) Government of Guatemala - October 25
Mexico 15 dead, 1.5 million affected, 370,000 displaced (Stan)
7 dead, 1million affected, 300,000 displaced (Wilma)
OCHA(1) October 23
OCHA - October 25
Honduras 11,000 displaced, 7,700 in shelters (Beta) Government of Honduras - October 31
El Salvador 68 dead, 26,000 in shelters (Stan) Government of El Salvador - October 18
Costa Rica 459 communities affected, 1,074 evacuated (Stan) Government of Costa Rica - October 6
Cuba 16 dead, 73,000 homeless (Dennis)
4,200 in shelters, 11 of 14 provinces affected (Wilma)
Government of Cuba National Civil Defense
OCHA - October 28
Bahamas 1,500 displaced, 200 homes damaged/destroyed (Wilma) Government of the Bahamas - October 28
Haiti 40 dead, 15,000 affected (Dennis) Government of Haiti - July 15
Grenada 1,650 initially displaced, 2,641 homes damaged/destroyed (Emily) OCHA - July 16

Total USAID/OFDA 2005 Hurricane Season Assistance to Latin America and the Caribbean: $6,026,066 (2)

Total USAID 2005 Hurricane Season Assistance to Latin America and the Caribbean: $12,141,466 (3)

CURRENT SITUATION

USAID/OFDA Team Deployment

More than 22 USAID/OFDA staff, working closely with USAID Missions and U.S. Embassy staff, have deployed to countries affected by Tropical Storm Stan, Hurricane Wilma, and Hurricane Beta in the last month -- including Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, the Bahamas, Nicaragua, and Honduras -- to assess damages, identify needs, and coordinate assistance with local disaster officials.(4)

Nicaragua

On November 7, the USAID/OFDA seven-member assistance team transitioned follow-up and monitoring duties to the USAID/OFDA consultant based in the region. USAID/OFDA will continue to monitor the situation closely from the USAID/OFDA Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, based in San Jose, Costa Rica, in collaboration with USAID/Nicaragua.

On November 3, the GON announced the final results of assessments conducted in areas affected by Hurricane Beta. According to the GON, Beta displaced 2,580 persons and damaged or destroyed 506 homes in the municipalities of Desembocadura del Rio Grande, Laguna de Perla, and Tortugero in Autonomous Region of the South Atlantic (RAAS). The most affected communities are Karawala, Kara, La Barra, Sandy Bay Sirpe Sur, and Walpa, in Desembocadura del Rio Grande Municipality.

According to the GON, Beta caused extensive damage to public infrastructure, including 12 churches, 10 schools, 5 health centers, 194 latrines, 115 wells, and 2 water tanks. Communities' livelihoods were also impacted as residents lost fishing equipment and 250 hectares of beans, maize, yucca, and plantains. The GON reported that urgent needs include food, medicines, potable water, sanitation facilities, and shelter materials.

In addition to the damage caused by Beta, above-normal winter rains along Nicaragua's Atlantic Coast overflowed the Coco River in RAAN Department. On November 3, the GON reported that 4,780 persons from the RAAN municipalities of Puerto Cabezas, Prinzapolka, and Waspan remain in 14 shelters.

Tropical Storm Stan caused flooding and landslides in the departments of Esteli, Chinandega, and Jinotega, forcing approximately 840 people to evacuate to shelters. In addition, extensive rainfall destroyed crops and food supplies in 14 communities in the Municipality of Waspam, RAAN Department, severely affecting 4,450 people.

Footnotes:

* The 2005 hurricane season lasts from approximately early June to late November, 2005.

(1) The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

(2) Total USAID/OFDA FY 2005 Assistance for the 2005 Hurricane Season was $291,119. Total FY 2006 USAID/OFDA Assistance for the 2005 Hurricane Season was $5,734,947.

(3) Total USAID FY 2005 Assistance for the 2005 Hurricane Season was $291,119. Total USAID FY 2006 Assistance for the 2005 Hurricane Season was $11,850,347.

(4) This includes staff deployed in response to multiple disasters.

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