cisselt posted on November 03, 2010 13:34
Red Cross Prepares in Haiti as Hurricane Tomas Threatens
WASHINGTON, Monday, November 01, 2010 — The Red Cross is activating its emergency plans in Haiti, with government officials describing Hurricane Tomas as potentially the gravest hurricane threat to the country since Hurricane Ike in 2008.
As of Monday, November 1, weather forecasters said Tomas could begin to affect Haiti as early as Tuesday, causing heavy rain and strong winds that could affect communities living along the country’s southern coast.
With hundreds of thousands of people living in makeshift camps in and around the capital Port-au-Prince as a result of the January 12th earthquake, Haiti’s population is especially vulnerable to heavy winds and rain.
The Red Cross has been preparing for the threat of a hurricane since February. At present, emergency stocks for 17,000 families are in Haiti and ready to be deployed to disaster-affected communities. Additional supplies for 8,000 families have also been called in from the Red Cross network’s regional logistics hub in Panama.
“We are working closely with the government to ensure that our plans are coordinated,” said Dr. Michaèle Amédée Gédéon, president of the Haitian Red Cross Society.
Ever since the January quake, the Red Cross has been supporting communities to better ready themselves for possible hurricanes and storms. To date Red Cross volunteers have reached tens of thousands of people living in makeshift camps through disaster preparedness projects. Volunteers have worked with community residents to help them dig drainage ditches, sandbag hillsides and create evacuation routes. In addition, Red Cross volunteers have provided emergency first aid training, and handed out waterproof bags that contain safety messages and can be used to store and protect important documents.
These efforts have also been bolstered through innovative use of mass media. Millions of SMS text messages have been relayed throughout the country, providing people with simple and accessible information on the steps they can take to minimize their risk from severe weather. Approximately 80 percent of all Haitians have access to cell phones. These important messages have further been relayed through weekly, national radio broadcasts.
Cholera response
Preparations for Hurricane Tomas are happening in Haiti at the same time as the Red Cross responds to the country’s first cholera outbreak since 1960. In addition to providing personnel, emergency supplies and other support in the affected regions, the global Red Cross network has also established a cholera treatment centre in Arcahie, just north of Port-au-Prince. Further emergency resources have been called in or put on standby to bolster this response.
Effects of Tomas elsewhere in the Caribbean
The force of Hurricane Tomas was evident over the weekend, when it had a strong impact on Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. In Barbados, severe winds caused damage to a number of homes across the island and over 90 percent of Red Cross shelters were opened. Red Cross volunteers and staff are supporting government agencies and response teams have responded by cutting and moving trees in roads. In St. Vincent and the Grenadines approximately 600 homes were damaged and over 1,200 people were displaced. Schools are being used as shelters, and damage assessments are ongoing.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.
Contact: Julie Sell
Spokesperson, – Haiti Delegation
American Red Cross, National Headquarters
sellj@usa.redcross.org
Phone: (509) 3488-5864
2025 E Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20006
www.redcross.org