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- Hurricane Irma Red Cross Response
  • By Gert van Dijken <gert at vandijken.com>
  • Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2017 06:56:27 -0700
Find attached a map rom OCHA showing the different actors responding in response to hurricane Irma showing the Red Cross active in all the affected countries and the IFRC is supporting some of the National societies with technical support as needed.

--
Gert van Dijken
Caribbean Hurricane Network
http://stormcarib.com

 


Attachment: OCHA-Irma-3W-landscape.pdf
Description: Adobe PDF document


- Fwd: Storm Caribe - Special request - Equine Relief
  • By Gert van Dijken <gert at vandijken.com>
  • Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2017 21:52:00 -0700
From: Sharon Hinds - CIEF Seretary General <caymansecretarygeneral at gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Sep 20, 2017 at 8:52 PM
Subject: Storm Caribe - Special request - Equine Relief
To: gert at gobeach.com


Dear Mr. van Dijken,

 

Thank you for your website, it is wonderful for the community.  It allowed my overseas family & friends to know we were safe hurricane Ivan in 2004.

 

I am the Secretary of Cayman Islands Equestrian Federation in the Cayman Islands and we are part of  group who are raising funds for the Equine Relief effort,  for horses impacted by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.  This group was specifically  launched by the FEI, Equestrian Canada, US Equestrian, the Pan American Equestrian Confederation and ourselves.

 

Please can I ask you to post this on your website.

 

We are  looking for persons who run the local Humane Societies (or another non-government agency) and / or for anyone involved with horses/donkeys  on the islands damaged by Irma and Maria  to contact us.  We know that communication is difficult,  but I thought this may be a way to get the some of the information we require. Somebody knows somebody…...   If they  could please contact Eve van de Bol at cief.caymanpresident at gmail.com  If  persons do not have email, or telephone lines but have some data,  Eve can be contacted at 1-345-926-3880 on WhatsApp.   We also have a Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/Cayman-Islands-Equestrian-Federation-118055838393936/ where we can be contacted as well.    We need to know what island they are from,  what the immediate needs are for the horses, how many horses / donkeys they have and what kinds issues are that they have.  This will help with  the distribution effort.

 

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

 

Kind regards,

 

Sharon

 

Sharon Hinds

General Secretary

caymansecretarygeneral at gmail.com

 

Cayman Islands Equestrian Federation

The CIEF Board
Eve van den Bol, President
Tanya Neville-Dickson, Vice-President

Sharon Hinds, General Secretary

Wendy Mannisto, Treasurer
Caroline Key, Director

 

www.ciefcay.com

(345) 916-6143

PO Box 200

Grand Cayman, KY-1104

Cayman Islands

 

facebook logo

 

 

 



- Fwd: Relief efforts for Irma hit islands on their way big time
  • By Gert van Dijken <gert at vandijken.com>
  • Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2017 18:40:05 -0700
Inspiring message from Jurgen from Barbados below.
--
Gert van Dijken
Caribbean Hurricane Network
http://stormcarib.com

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jurgen Starck
Date: Tue, Sep 19, 2017 at 5:54 PM
Subject: Relief efforts for Irma hit islands on their way big time

Hi Gert,

I am living in the normal landing path of the Barbados airport (BGI), saying planes usually are coming in from the West as we all know. Since Maria approaching and even until now they are taking off towards the West, which means the winds are still controlled by Maria, slightly in Barbados. The incoming planes are literally flying above my house and are now taking off this way. Help must be coming in galore by military transport planes flying into Barbados like mosquitoes! Also by chartered planes from helping countries who may not the appropriate air cargo capacities. Today and a few days before I even saw some Antonov-124 Cargo planes on the BGI tarmac. This plane can take 120 tonnes of payload! I ham hoping it was fully loaded!

 So the help seems to come in big time. Helping countries seem to do the best they can.

Even though I feel it hard to say, in terms of the most hard suffering islands hit by Irma, you Northern Caribbean neighbours have to hang in there, help is coming. I can see it every day or almost every hour coming in. Just try to hang in there as good as you can! I feel so sorry for all of you!

And now Maria is coming to the VI and PR again! Take cover wherever you can in what has been left for you people after Irma. I cannot imagine what you up there in the North must be feeling right now, I simply can not! Above all you have so much debris (potential bullets) lying around you and so little cover left, I suppose. Take cover and care where ever you can! I am hoping to read anything form you guys up North ever again after it is all over...

Hoping Maria might wobble a bit away from you! Crossing my fingers!

-- 

Best regards to all and stay safe, as safe as you can considering the conditions.
Jurgen

Barbados South, near airport (BGI)


- CTO Update
  • By Gert van Dijken <gert at vandijken.com>
  • Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2017 15:50:33 -0700
Attached new update by the Caribbean Tourism Organization ( http://www.onecaribbean.org/ ) on hotels, and more on many of the islands impacted by Irma:

They also have a GoFundMe going.

--
Gert van Dijken
Caribbean Hurricane Network
http://stormcarib.com

Attachment: HURRICANE IRMA 4.docx
Description: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document


- Caribbean Tourism Organization Update
  • By Gert van Dijken <gert at vandijken.com>
  • Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2017 13:54:07 -0700
It is two days old, but in the PDF document the Caribbean Tourism Organization has many updates on specific hotels on the islands.


--
Gert van Dijken
Caribbean Hurricane Network
http://stormcarib.com

- CDEMA report
  • By Gert van Dijken <gert at vandijken.com>
  • Date: Sat, 9 Sep 2017 06:45:01 -0700
Yesterday a new situation report was posted by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency.
Apparently the Anguilla airport is open for emergency flights.


--
Gert van Dijken
Caribbean Hurricane Network
http://stormcarib.com

- CDEMA Situation Report
  • By Gert van Dijken <gert at vandijken.com>
  • Date: Fri, 8 Sep 2017 08:12:23 -0700

- Fwd: Latest news about what aid is on the way
  • By Gert van Dijken <gert at vandijken.com>
  • Date: Fri, 8 Sep 2017 06:17:24 -0700


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jenny Fletcher
Date: Fri, Sep 8, 2017 at 3:01 AM
Subject: Latest news about what aid is on the way


Just watched news item from RAF Brize Norton - 

At least two, possibly 3 Transport planes are leaving this afternoon for Barbados. They have chosen this base initially because the island hasn't been badly damaged by Irma and is not in the path of Jose. 

They will have on board at least :-

About 300 military personnel including RAF, Army and Royal Marines

Medical Supplies

Emergency supplies

- but I am sure they will have much more than that!

Their co-ordinator says that it's about 10 hours flying time for the transport planes to give you an idea of timescales.

On arrival, they will assess latest news and weather reports to determine where they can get to safely (bearing in mind Hurricane Jose) and how quickly and who is in greatest need.

I am also aware that there are aid workers already in Antigua who the RAF will liaise with. I just caught the end of a news item speaking to someone there. I don't know exactly who he was but seemed to be a co-ordinator for an aid agency - I think his first name is Fergus. 

RFA Mounts Bay was in Anguilla yesterday, has distributed some aid already and hopes to move on to BVI's.  They also used helicopters to assess damage and liaison has taken place with Anguilla's Governor and  also I think with the BVI Governor. They are staying in the area to liaise with incoming aid but obviously have to stay out of the way of Jose to be able to remain useful to everyone.

I am sure that the British Gov ARE doing all they can and will be with the people who need help as fast as they humanly can.

I emailed my MP yesterday and she has promised me a quick reply.  If this brings up anything I haven't already mentioned, I will update you again later.

b/w

Jenny Fletcher
UK StormCarib watcher



--
Gert van Dijken
Caribbean Hurricane Network
http://stormcarib.com


- Fwd: Help on its way
  • By Gert van Dijken <gert at vandijken.com>
  • Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2017 11:46:25 -0700


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jenny Fletcher
Date: Thu, Sep 7, 2017 at 11:30 AM
Subject: Help on its way


Gert and all affected by Irma

Have been watching incoming news all day. Very shocked at the terrible damage.

I thought that you would all want to know about this.

Two Royal Navy ships are on their way to the Eastern Caribbean, one may have already arrived or is very close (RFA Mounts Bay), one is following. (HMS Ocean)

Also a task force of 250 military personnel and appropriate equipment are being sent. This was on the ticker tape on the BBC World News TV channel just now but is an update on the link below, adding some detail.

The British Gov. have increased relief fund to £32m in response to the extent of the hurricane damage. I think the Gov. were quite stung by the criticism as maybe they should be.
I see that the Queen and Prince Philip have also sent their good wishes to all those affected.

This is the relevant link from the BBC website.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41193717

Best wishes to you all, especially in view of another storm on the way.

Jenny Fletcher
UK StormCarib watcher


--
Gert van Dijken
Caribbean Hurricane Network
http://stormcarib.com

- Irma's place in history
  • By Gert van Dijken <gert at vandijken.com>
  • Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2017 08:59:16 -0700

From Brian McNoldy's excellent blog (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2017/09/07/category-5-irma-stays-on-perilous-path-toward-florida-hurricane-watch-issued/):

Irma’s place in history

Irma’s peak intensity (185 mph) ranks among the strongest in recorded history, exceeding the likes of Katrina, Andrew and Camille — whose winds peaked at 175 mph.

Among the most intense storms on record, it only trails Hurricane Allen in 1980, which had winds of 190 mph. It is tied for second most intense with Hurricane Wilma in 2005, Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 and the 1935 Florida Keys hurricane.

The storm has maintained maximum wind speeds of at least 180 mph longer than any other storm on record in the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean.

Late Tuesday night, its pressure dropped to 914 millibars (the lower the pressure, the stronger the storm), ranking as the lowest of any storm on record outside the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico in the Atlantic basin.

The storm has generated the most Accumulated Cyclone Energy, a measure of both a storm’s duration and intensity, of any hurricane on record.

Without a doubt, the World Meteorological Organization will retire the names Harvey and Irma after this season. While there have been several instances of consecutive storm names getting retired (Rita and Stan 2005, Ivan and Jeanne 2004, Isabel and Juan 2003, Luis and Marilyn 1995), the U.S. has only been hit by more than one Category 4+ hurricane in a season one time: 1915. Two Category 4 hurricanes hit in Texas and Louisiana six weeks apart that year.

Credit to tropical weather expert and occasional Capital Weather Gang contributor Phil Klotzbach for some of the statistics in this section.


Phil Klotzbach write up:
https://webcms.colostate.edu/tropical/media/sites/111/2017/09/Hurricane-Irma-Records.pdf


--
Gert van Dijken
Caribbean Hurricane Network
http://stormcarib.com

- Fwd: UN: Hurricane Irma could affect up to 37 million people
  • By Gert van Dijken <gert at vandijken.com>
  • Date: Wed, 6 Sep 2017 18:02:33 -0700


#EXTRA: UN: Hurricane Irma could affect up to 37 million people

 

Ahead of Hurricane Irma, UN agencies preparing supplies and communication lines to youth

If Irma stays on its current track as a category 5 hurricane, it will bring devastating damage within hours to parts of the Caribbean, affecting the lives of hundreds of thousands of children, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) today cautioned.

“Although it is still early to know the full impact that Irma will have in the region, the main concerns of UNICEF centre around the supply of drinking water and food, and the health and protection of children and adolescents,” the UN agency said in a statement.

UNICEF's office in the region has activated its emergency protocols and is working with Government officials in Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St. Maarten, St. Kitts and Nevis, and the Virgin Islands, as well as the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba, which the hurricane is projected to hit next.

Supplies of drinking water, unperishable food and medicines, and emergency kits are pre-positioned and ready for distribution in the most affected communities, UNICEF said.

The agency also activated its U-Report platform, which allows it to send urgent messages via Facebook and other social media platforms to young people who subscribed.

“Considering the possible magnitude that Irma represents, it is both hugely urgent and necessary to be prepared, informed and vigilant so that we try to avoid the impact on the most vulnerable, that is to say children,” said Marita Perceval, Regional Director of UNICEF in Latin America and the Caribbean.

According to recent information, Irma has become “the most dangerous natural phenomenon” in the region this year.

Its impact will likely surpass Hurricane Matthew, which was a category 4 hurricane on a five-point scale and affected 3.2 million people last October – of whom 1.3 million were children.

Since last fall, UNICEF said it has been working with Government officials in the area to help create better access to clean water and hygiene, education, protection, nutrition and health, and respond to the spread of cholera.

Humanitarian team en route to Barbados

A team of humanitarian workers is heading to Barbados today to work with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), a UN spokesperson announced. The team will help those on the ground brace for a storm that could affect up to 37 million people.

In Haiti, UN humanitarian staff have been deployed to the northern area of the island, which is likely to be hit. In addition, some military and police from the drawn-down of the UN peacekeeping mission in the country, known as MINUSTAH, are preparing to be deployed to assist the Haitian National Police.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=57467#.WbCW-7KGNhE

 



--
Gert van Dijken
Caribbean Hurricane Network
http://stormcarib.com

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