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Haiti

Haiti: Tropical Storm Alpha, Floods OCHA Situation Report No. 1

Ref: OCHA/GVA - 2005/0186
OCHA Situation Report No. 1
Tropical Storm Alpha, Floods - Haiti
25 October 2005

Situation

1. On Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd October, tropical storm "Alpha" affected Haiti from South East to North West, causing heavy rains almost all over the country.

2. In the middle of the day on Saturday 22nd, the CNM (Centre National de Meteorologie) in Haiti alerted about the fast approaching tropical depression 25 with level 1. The alert level was later raised to level 2 during that night.

3. High rainfall has caused a lot of localised flooding, mudslides and increased river levels throughout the country. At 12:00 pm local time on October 24th, the DPC (Direction de la Protection Civil) reported that the official death toll from floods and electrocution has reached 8. 4 people were reported missing, 17 were wounded. 435 families have been affected, 193 houses were destroyed and 211 damaged. The most affected regions are the departments of West (Carrefour, Leogane, Gressier) South-West (Jacmel, Anse à Pitre) and Grande Anse (Dame Marie, Irois)

4. The road between the department of South and Port-au-Prince is closed at Grand Goave. In Leogane, cars are going through the river and only pedestrians are allowed through the bridge. National roads and several streets and avenues in the main cities of the country are closed due to landslides. The roads east of Marigot and west of Jacmel are also closed due to the rising of rivers. The road between Jeremie and Les Cayes is closed.

5. In Ile de la Gonave, the water draining system in Nan Barré has been affected with pipes carried away to the sea by the storm.

National Response

6. The CNM (Centre National de Meteorologie) has monitored the situation very closely and produced 8 weather bulletins with clear instructions sent through the press and other distribution channels.

7. All Departmental Committees for Risk and Disaster Management, the Direction of Civil Protection, the SPGRD, the National Police, MINUSTAH, UNDP and Haiti Red-Cross are/have been mobilised. Emergency Operation Centres have been activated at central and departmental levels. Assessment teams have been sent by civil protection and departmental Committees for Risk and Disaster Management.

8. The Delegate in South East ordered the population in Bas-Jacmel to evacuate people.

International Response

9. MINUSTAH, UN Agencies and NGOs in Haiti are supporting the government in handling the situation. No international assistance has been requested.

10. In West and South-East Department, MINUSTAH has supported the Civil Protection in collecting information and in some places, to evacuate people. As part of the departmental Committee of GRD and COUD. MINUSTAH and NGOS have been mobilized in the department of North, Artibonite, Grande Anse and Nippes.

11. MINUSTAH is sending a special flight on October 25th to assess the humanitarian situation in the commune of Anse a Pitre completely flooded and water reaching 40 to 50 cm according to report from the NGO.

12. OCHA is in close contact with the United Nations' Resident Coordinator in Haiti and will revert with further information as it becomes available.

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

MAP: Haiti: Tropical Storm Alpha and Floods - Situation map

Telephone of UN in Haiti: +509 244-9350, Ext 2094 or 2088
E-mail: honorato@un.org, waboj@un.org

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

Desk Officer:

Mr. Dusan Zupka
E-mail: zupka@un.org
Direct Tel. +41-22-917 1645

Press contact:

(GVA) Ms. Madelaine Moulin-Acevedo, direct Tel. +41-22-917 3160
(N.Y.) Ms. Stephanie Bunker, direct Tel. +1-917-367 51 26

Disclaimer

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
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