- ST. GEORGE'S, Grenada - Hurricane
Ivan made a direct hit on Grenada, killing at least three people as it
turned concrete homes into piles of rubble and hurled the island's landmark
red zinc roofs through the air.
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- The most powerful storm to hit the Caribbean in 10 years
also damaged homes in Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Vincent, just days after
Hurricane Frances rampaged through and went on to cause massive damage
in Florida.
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- Ivan strengthened even as it was over Grenada on Tuesday,
becoming a Category 4 storm and getting even more powerful as it headed
across the Caribbean Sea on a projected route to bear down on Jamaica late
Thursday.
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- "After Jamaica, it's probably going to hit somewhere
in the U.S. unfortunately," said meteorologist Jennifer Pralgo of
the Hurricane Center in Miami. "We're hoping it's not Florida again,
but it's taking a fairly similar track to Charley at the moment."
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- Hurricane Charley killed 27 people in southwest Florida
last month and caused an estimated $6.8 billion in insured damage.
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- Howling winds raged through the hilly streets of St.
George's, Grenada's capital, on Tuesday trashing concrete homes, uprooting
trees and utility poles, and knocking out telephone service and electricity.
The islands were cut off from the rest of the world and transmission was
halted from the Grenada Broadcast Network, whose building suffered major
damage.
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- The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency based
in Barbados said Wednesday three confirmed deaths were blamed on the storm
but it had lost contact with Grenada's emergency officials before getting
more details.
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- The emergency agency's office building, the 19th century
Great House at Mount Wheldale in St. George's, "was destroyed"
and officials were trying to relocate when they lost contact, officials
said.
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- Several hundred people had been evacuated from low-lying
areas of St. George's. ChevronTexaco said it evacuated nonessential staff
from a natural gas well off Venezuela's Atlantic coast. Venezuela's government
put the South American country's north coast on hurricane watch Tuesday
night, and a hurricane warning was posted for the Dutch islands of Aruba,
Bonaire and Curacao.
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- "They (Grenadians) had about two hours of just hellacious
winds ... took a really bad beating," meteorologist Hugh Cobb of the
U.S. Hurricane Center in Miami told The Associated Press. "This is
a very dangerous hurricane now."
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- Grenadian Prime Minister Keith Mitchell said his home
has been flattened, Trinidadian leader Patrick Manning told reporters after
a telephone conversation. Manning said Mitchell asked for help and promised
to send Eastern Caribbean $3.7 million in food and other aid.
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- The Barbados emergency agency said it has been "flooded
with calls and e-mail from anxious relatives" and was sending a team
into St. George's Wednesday.
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- More than 1,000 people rushed to shelters in Grenada,
made up of several islands with about 100,000 residents. It is best known
for a 1983 U.S. invasion following a left-wing palace coup.
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- There also were unconfirmed reports that storm damage
allowed prisoners to escape Grenada's crumbling and overcrowded 17th century
prison, a zinc-roofed stone edifice on a hilltop. For more than 20 years
the prison has held former Deputy Prime Minister Bernard Coard and 16 others
convicted for killings in the coup.
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- Ivan's sustained winds were clocked at 120 mph as it
raced through the Windward Islands. But it strengthened to 140 mph with
gusts just over 160 mph.
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- Cobb said Ivan would be the first Category 4 storm to
hit Caribbean islands since Hurricane Luis wrought havoc in 1990.
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- He said that if Ivan hit Jamaica, it could be more destructive
than Hurricane Gilbert, which was only Category 3 when it devastated the
island in 1988.
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- He said Ivan's heaviest rains, concentrated in its eastern
sector, likely will sweep the southern peninsula of Haiti, the most impoverished
country in the Western Hemisphere where deforestation and a proliferation
of shacks make any excessive rain a deadly force. Heavy rains in May triggered
floods that killed some 1,700 people and left 1,600 missing and presumed
dead in Haiti and neighboring Dominican Republic.
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- At 8 a.m. EDT, Hurricane Ivan was centered about 190
miles east of Bonaire with the eye expected to pass north of the Dutch
islands Wednesday afternoon. Hurricane-force winds extended up to 70 miles
and tropical storm-force winds another 160 miles.
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- The Hurricane Center warned could cause storm flooding
of 3-5 feet above normal tides with 5-7 inches of rain that could cause
flash floods and mudslides.
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- Earlier Tuesday, Ivan damaged at least 176 homes in Barbados
and left many residents without water and electricity, according to relief
director Judy Thomas. The Atlantis Hotel and Ocean Spray Hotel, just outside
Bridgetown, the capital, lost part of their roofs.
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- In neighboring St. Vincent and the Grenadines, about
600 people sought shelter, at least 45 houses were damaged and two-thirds
of the country was without power, officials said.
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- Airports, schools, government offices and most private
businesses were closed on affected islands.
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- Ivan became the fourth major hurricane of the season
on Sunday, coming hard on the heels of Hurricane Frances, which killed
at least two people in the Bahamas and 14 in the U.S. states of Florida
and Georgia.
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- Grenada Severely Impacted By Hurricane Ivan
- 3 dead
- Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency
(CDERA)
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- Barbados (CDERA) - Grenada, a member state of the Caribbean
Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) was severely impacted by Hurricane
Ivan. Three people are confirmed dead.
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- The Capital St Georges suffered incalculable damage.
The Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) and the residence of Prime Minister
Dr Keith Mitchell were destroyed. The EOC is presently relocating and re-establishing
communications.
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- The CARICOM Secretariat has received a full brief from
CDERA.
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- The Eastern Caribbean Donor Group is meeting at CDERA
headquarters in the morning to receive a detailed damage report which will
inform their emergency response.
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- The Caribbean Disaster Response Unit operated by the
Regional Security System is deploying restoration teams to Grenada as well
as CARILEC which has mobilized power utility restoration teams from Belize,
Turks and Caicos, Cayman Islands, and Antigua.
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- HMS Richmond, the British Naval patrol vessel is available
to support immediate response in Grenada.
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- The Emergency Assistance Funds operated by CDERA, CDB,
FirstCaribbean International Bank are being activated.
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- Below is a Situation Report issued by CDERA at 7:30 pm.
Updates are also available at http://www.cdera.org ____
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- The Event: Hurricane Ivan strengthened once again today
into a category 3 hurricane and passed south of Barbados buffeting that
island with strong tropical storm force conditions. It also brushed Tobago
and Saint Lucia with tropical storm force conditions, impacted St Vincent
and the Grenadines before devastating Grenada.
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- The Prognosis: Ivan is now clearing the Windward Islands
and forecast to strengthen. The National Hurricane Centre has forecast
that on its present course Ivan is expected to approach Jamaica by weekend.
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- THE SITUATION
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- Barbados There was island wide power outage except for
the major health care facility, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Power is
being restored to the island. More than 221 houses damaged particularly
in the southern part of the island in the parishes of Christ Church, St
Philip, and St Michael. Some utility poles are down and some areas are
without landline telephone service. All cellular services are operational.
There are also reports of coastal damage associated with storm surge. Water
supply remains functional.
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- Emergency Operational Center remains operational and
is coordinating response to the impact. No request for external assistance
has been communicated to CDERA at this time.
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- One death in Barbados cannot be confirmed as attributed
to Hurricane Ivan at this time.
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- All clear is issued
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- Trinidad and Tobago The twin islands of Trinidad and
Tobago experienced tropical storm force conditions. Tobago experienced
the greater impact.
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- The Emergency Operations Centre in Tobago remains operational
and is coordinating response. In Tobago 14 villages reported damage, 33
homes reported either total or partial roof damage, utility down across
many areas of the island.
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- The International Federation of the Red Cross in Trinidad
reports that damage has been concentrated in the northern part of the island
Charlotteville and Speyside are without power at this time, as are some
other areas.
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- At 5 pm the tropical storm warning was discontinued and
a National Emergency Task Force meeting was scheduled for 6:30 pm.
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- Grenada
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- Grenada was the most significantly impacted of the CDERA
Participating States. Present reports indicate significant damage with
three deaths reported so far. Utilities in all areas are out with exception
of cell phone coverage.
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- The Capital of St Georges suffered incalculable damage.
The Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) and the Prime Minister's residence
were destroyed. No one in the EOC or Prime Minister's residence was reported
hurt. An alternative EOC is presently being set up. The main hospital was
damaged as well as some shelters. The people in those shelters were moved
to others. The population in public shelters is 1,000 and climbing.
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- St Vincent and the Grenadines
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- No fatalities or severe casualties have been reported.
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- More than 1, 000 people in shelters. Power is down island
wide. Storm surge inundated coastal areas and destroyed 19 homes from which
63 were evacuated and are now part of the 1,000 in public shelters. More
than 40 other homes were damaged. Areas which sustained most damage were
Georgetown, Canaries, and Argyle.
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- The hospital on Union Island lost it roof.
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- Saint Lucia
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- Two people injured while trying to repair a roof. They
are hospitalized. No fatalities reported. Minor roof damage reported.
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- The Dennery Police Station had to be relocated from its
coastal location. No damage to roads has been reported. Electricity is
off in one area where lines were sparking. Power to the areas was disconnected
by the electricity supply company. Water supply is locked off in some
areas. Phone service is up in all areas.
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- Four shelters are opened. ACTIONS BY COORDINATING UNIT:
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- 1. The Eastern Caribbean Donor Group is meeting
at 9 am Wednesday at CDERA headquarters to receive a preliminary damage
assessment which will inform the Group's emergency response;
- 2. The Caribbean Disaster Response Unit is being
mobilized for deployment to Grenada as early as tomorrow - weather conditions
permitting.
- 3. Trinidad and Tobago, the CDERA sub-regional focal
point for Grenada is mobilizing a vessel to deploy relief supplies tomorrow.
- 4. CARILEC has assembled restoration crews which
will be deployed to Grenada.
- 5. HMS Richmond, the British Naval patrol vessel
is available to support immediate response in Grenada.
- 6. CARICOM Secretariat has been apprised of the
situation in the CDERA Participating States.
- 7. The Emergency Assistance Funds operated by CDERA,
CDB, FirstCaribbean International Bank are being activated.
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- The CDERA CU continues to issue SITREPs on Hurricane
Ivan which may be viewed at www.cdera.org.
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- FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:
- Jeremy Collymore
- Coordinator, CDERA
- Tel: (246) 425-0386
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- Donovan Gentles
- Preparedness and Response Manager
- Tel: (246) 425-0386
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- Terry Ally
- Public Education and Information Specialist
- Tel: (246) 425-0386
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