TROPICAL STORM ERIKA UPDATE #1(As at 12.00 noon, September 3, 2009)

 

MESSAGE: Tropical Storm Warning issued for the Virgin Islands (UK) and remains in effect for Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Montserrat and St. Kitts/Nevis

 

EVENT:

Erika began impacting the Leeward Islands on September 2, 2009 and they continue to feel the effects of the adverse weather conditions.  The Virgin Islands (UK) are now under Tropical Storm Warning and Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Montserrat and St. Kitts/Nevis remain under Tropical Storm Warning.

 

At 11.00 am EDT, Tropical Storm Erika was located near latitude 16.9 North and longitude 63.5 West or about 100 miles (165 km) East-South East of the St. Croix and about 200 miles (320 km ) East-South-East of San Juan, Puerto Rico.  Maximum sustained winds are about 40 mph (65 km/hr) with higher gusts and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 175 miles (280 km).

 

PROGNOSIS

TS Erika is likely to weaken over the next few days and is expected to produce 3-5 inches of rain over the central and northern Antilles and the Virgin Islands (UK).

 

Erika is on a West-Northwest track and moving at about 8mph (13km/hr).  The weather associated with Erika will continue to move through the Leeward Islands today and approach the Virgin Islands (UK) later today or tonight.

 

NATIONAL REPORTS

Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Montserrat and St. Kitts/Nevis have all reported that there has been no significant damage so far from the passage of TS Erika.  Schools and some businesses remain closed and there has been some disruption to flight schedules.

 

In Antigua and Barbuda, shelters remain opened in the community of Piggott’s, York’s, Bolans, Hatton and Tinnel Village.  Three families are being housed at the shelters.

 

The Virgin Islands (UK) have activated their emergency plans and taken all the necessary precautionary measures.

 

REGIONAL ACTIONS

The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) formerly CDERA continues to remain in  contact with the states and remains ready to offer support if required.

 

CDEMA will continue to monitor TS Erika and provide updates as necessary.

 

The 24 hour contact number for CDEMA is 246 425-0386

Bridgetown, Barbados, August 31, 2009 (CDEMA) - The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) will formally become the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) on September 1, 2009.

This change brings to fruition months of planning and represents the concretization of an organizational transition and strategic shift in focus from disaster preparedness and response to comprehensive disaster management.

The primary evidence of the transition is reflected in the organization’s structure and mandate which has been widened to include the adoption of disaster loss reduction and mitigation policies and practices, at the national and regional level and cooperative arrangements and mechanisms to facilitate the development of a culture of disaster loss reduction.

Apart from a shift in mandate the new agency’s governance structure will also be amended. The institution will be governed by a Council constituting the Heads of the Participating States, or their designate, but will be strengthened through the establishment of a Management Committee of Council (MCC). The technical platform of the agency will be strengthened through the involvement of    specialized Regional Institutions in the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), who will provide diversified expertise in a variety of areas related to the science and policy of disaster management.

The Agency will now function with an increased membership of eighteen (18) Participating States to include Haiti and Suriname who have recently signed on to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency Agreement.

The organization has outlined a series of activities which will facilitate greater participation of its stakeholders in shaping coordinated strategic response to the reduction of disaster related losses in the region. Although acknowledged as a continuation of a process which commenced with the adoption of the Enhanced Comprehensive Disaster Management Strategy,  the Agency will continue to be governed by its mission and vision which emphasizes the need for an organization which is a “..leading, innovative centre of excellence, dedicated to building linkages for the promotion of a culture of reducing disaster losses in the region.”

This view was emphasized by Mr. Jeremy Collymore – the Agency’s Executive Director who see the establishment of CDEMA to be a clear indication that Participating States are ready to embrace policy, systems and programmes that are appropriate for the rapidly changing risks to their development arising from the changing magnitude,   frequency and costs of hazard impacts, the onset of climate change and other trans-boundary threats like pandemics. He urged the agency’s staff  "to recognize that the change in name is part of a wider process to ensure that we are more responsive to a very discerning community that wants be fully engaged in the risk reduction dialogue and actions. "

For further information, please contact: 
Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency
Building No. 1, Manor Lodge Complex, Lodge Hill, St. Michael
Barbados, West Indies
Tel No: (246) 425-0386, Fax No: (246) 425-8854
E-mail: cdera at caribsurf.com
Website: www.cdera.org

HURRICANE BILL ADVISORY # 2 (Wednesday, August 19, 2009, 1600 hrs EDT)
 
Message: Large Sea Swells expected to impact Northern Leeward Islands
 
The Event:  Large swells associated with Hurricane Bill are expected to impact the northern Leeward Islands, including the Virgin islands (UK), Anguilla and Antigua and Barbuda during the next 24 to 48 hours.

Hurricane Bill, a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale, is now on a track well to the north of the Leeward islands.  At 1100 am EDT, the eye of Hurricane Bill was located near latitude 18.7 north longitude 56.3 west or about 380 miles (610 km) east-northeast of the Leeward islands and about 1080 miles (1735 km) south-southeast of Bermuda.  Bill is moving toward the west-northwest at about 18 mph (30km/hr) with sustained winds of close to 135 mph (215 km/hr).

Bill is a large hurricane and hurricane force winds extend outward up to 80 miles (130 km) from the center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 175 miles (280 km).primarily to the northeast of the center. Some additional strengthening is possible over the next 24 hours.
 
National Actions: National disaster response mechanisms in the threatened States remain on stand-by.
The National Disaster Offices continue to update the public and encourage residents of coastal communities to pay particular attention to current weather updates.

Regional Actions: The CDERA Coordinating Unit continues to maintain contact with the National Disaster Offices in the threatened area and remain ready to provide assistance if required.
The Coordinating Unit will continue to monitor the situation with Hurricane Bill and provide advisories as necessary.

Contact Details: The CDERA CU 24hr contact number is 246 425 0386

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ADVISORY # 1
   
The Event:  At 5:00pm AST, the center of Hurricane Bill was located near latitude 14.6 north, longitude 46.7 west or about 1,570 km (975 miles) east of the Lesser Antilles.

Hurricane Bill was upgraded to a Category 1 Hurricane (Saffir Simpson scale) on Monday August 17, 2009. Some strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours and Bill could become a major hurricane by Wednesday August 19, 2009.

Bill is moving toward the west-northwest at about 26 kilometres or 16 miles an hour with sustained winds of close to 150 kilometres or 90 miles per hour.  This general motion is expected to continue for the next 24 to 48 hours and should bring the center near the northeast coast of the Leeward Islands by Thursday August 20, 2009.

The Situation: In response to the threat posed by Hurricane Bill to the Lesser Antilles, the local Meteorological Offices have issued Hurricane Advisories for the islands of Antigua & Barbuda, the Virgin Islands (UK) and Anguilla.

National Response:
Virgin Islands (UK)
The Department of Disaster Management (DDM) in the Virgin Islands (UK) has issued a Hurricane Advisory and placed its national response system on stand-by in preparation for Hurricane Bill. The island was on a Tropical Storm watch this morning in anticipation of Tropical Depression Ana but has since stood-down and reported no damage.

Anguilla
The Department of Disaster Management (DDM) in Anguilla has issued regular public advisories via the news media to alert persons of the approaching hurricane and is completing readiness actions.

Antigua & Barbuda
The National Office of Disaster Services (NODS) issued a Press Release this morning to warn the public on the on-coming threat of Hurricane Bill. The Minister of Health, the National Disaster Coordinator, the Director of the National Red Cross and the Chief Meteorological Officer were guests on the Television Station this morning to update the public and encourage increased preparatory actions. The national disaster response mechanism is placed on standby.

Regional Response: CDERA has been monitoring Hurricane Bill as it moves towards the region. The Coordinating Unit has established contact with the National Disaster Offices in the threatened area and will continue to provide updated information on the islands’ preparedness actions.

The Coordinating Unit has finalized arrangements for accessing emergency response personnel who will lead specialized teams (Emergency Operations Centre and Assessment Teams), if necessary.

The Coordinating Unit will continue to monitor the situation with Hurricane Bill as it moves towards Caribbean and provide advisories as necessary.

Next Advisory: 1400 hrs Tuesday August 18, 2009

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Contact Details: The CDERA CU 24hr contact number is 246 425 0386

Bridgetown, Barbados, July 22, 2009 (CDERA) - The Joint Project Coordination Committee (JPCC) of three projects being implemented by CDERA, met recently in Barbados to discuss progress to date and recommend actions to ensure the delivery of quality and timely outputs.

This meeting was attended by 19 representatives from the United States Agency for International Development/Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA), the CDERA Coordinating Unit and Participating States, regional seismic agencies and other technical experts such as the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the United Nations Fund for Women (UNIFEM), and the Caribbean Institute of Media and Communications (CARIMAC).

The projects reviewed by the JPCC were the Earthquake Readiness Capacity Building (ERCB) Project, Tsunami and Other Coastal Hazards Warning System (TCHWS) Project and the Enhancing the Effectiveness of Information and Communication Technology Applications and Tools for Disaster Management in the Caribbean Region (IDRC/ICT) Project. They are being funded by the Government of Austria, USAID/OFDA and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) respectively and are expected to close later this year.

These projects will deliver products and tools that will be integrated into safer building practices, early warning systems, emergency communications and public education and awareness programmes on various hazards in CDERA Participating States

Specifically, products of the ERCB project will include the Earthquake Readiness WebPages that will be accessible through the CDERA website, public service announcements for radio and television, a “drop, cover and hold on” jingle, an interactive toolkit for primary school children in the 7-11 age range and other toolkits for various target groups.

The IDRC/ICT Project has been conducting studies on ICT applications in emergency operations in relation to the use of ham radios, e-messaging and GIS technology in CDERA Participating States.  This Project is also funding the training of ham radio operators and other personnel in emergency communications in Saint Lucia and Antigua and Barbuda and the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Technology in flood early warning systems in Grenada.

Under the TCHWS project, a model tsunami warning protocol and Standard Operating Procedures have been developed for the region and these are expected to be adapted to suit the national context for CDERA Participating States.  As one of the four Pilot States that will benefit directly from this process, the Barbados protocol and SOPs were assessed by the JPCC.

Ms Andria Grosvenor, Technical Manager, Preparedness & Country Support, CDERA said, “These projects represent a watershed period in disaster management in the Caribbean and truly embody the spirit and sentiment of Comprehensive Disaster Management. They clearly demonstrate that the transition to CDEMA – the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, is more than a name change.”

The JPCC commended CDERA on the results achieved so far and proposed strategies for optimal, sustainable results and impact.

For more information on the projects please visit http://www.cdera.org/projects/

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