Effects of Hurricane Dean in the Lesser Antilles: Difference between revisions

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Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit declared declared [[August 19]], [[2007]] to be a national day of prayer and thanksgiving.<ref>http://www.caribbean360.com/News/Weather/Stories/2007/08/20/NEWS0000004782.html</ref>
Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit declared declared [[August 19]], [[2007]] to be a national day of prayer and thanksgiving.<ref>http://www.caribbean360.com/News/Weather/Stories/2007/08/20/NEWS0000004782.html</ref>

In the days after to storm, some residents of Martinique, still without electricity, food, water, or telephones, took to looting stores and bakeries. Utility workers from Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and France arrived on [[August 19]] to help restore electricity.<ref>http://www.caribbean360.com/News/Weather/Stories/2007/08/20/NEWS0000004782.html</ref>


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 00:19, 23 August 2007

The effects of Hurricane Dean in the Lesser Antilles were spread over several islands and included 3 fatalities. Hurricane Dean formed from a tropical wave on August 14 2007, in the Atlantic Ocean 1800 km (1100 miles) west of Cape Verde. The National Hurricane Center's first Forecast Advisory on the system anticipated that the Cape Verde-type hurricane would pass into the Caribbean through the Lesser Antilles. The storm moved persistently towards the small island chain, strengthening until it passed through the islands three days later on August 17 as a Category 2 hurricane. It went on to brush the island of Jamaica and reached Category 5 strength before making landfall on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula.

Preparations

True color satellite image of Hurricane Dean on August 16 as it approached the Windward Islands

At 11 p.m. AST August 15 (0300 UTC August 16) the respective government of St. Lucia, Martinique, Saba, St. Eustatius, and Guadeloupe and its dependencies issued Hurricane watches and the government of the Netherlands Antilles issued a tropical storm watch for the island of St. Maarten,[1] as then-Tropical Storm Dean was expected to intensify to hurricane strength and reach the Windward Islands within 36 hours.[2] Authorities in Martinique canceled a memorial to the victims of West Caribbean Airways Flight 708 and began to set up shelters.[3] At 5 am AST (0900 UTC) August 16 the respective governments of St. Lucia and Dominica issued hurricane warnings in anticipation of Hurricane Dean's imminent approach. In Dominica, a dozen and a half tourists were evacuated to concrete shelters[3] and the government in Dominica canceled leave for emergency service personnel.[4] At the same time the Meterological Service of Barbados issued a tropical storm warning for Barbados and a tropical storm watch for St. Vincent.[5] Three hours later, at 8 a.m. AST (1200 UTC), the Meteorological Service of Antigua issued a tropical storm watch for Montserrat, Antigua, St. Kitts, Nevis and Barbuda.[6] Shortly thereafter the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service issued a tropical storm watch for Grenada and its dependencies.[7] At 11 a.m. AST (1500 UTC) the Barbados Meteorological Service issued tropical storm warnings for St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and the Government of the Netherlands Antilles discontinued the hurricane watch on Saba and St. Eustatius and replaced it with a tropical storm warning.[8] At 5 p.m. AST (2100 UTC) August 16, roughly 15 hours before Hurricane Dean arrived,[9] the Government of France issued hurricane warnings for Martinique and Guadeloupe and its dependencies, and the NHC issued a tropical storm watch for the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.[10] At 8 p.m. AST (2100 UTC) August 16 the Meteorological Service of Antigua issued a tropical storm warning for Anguilla.[11] Martinique's main airport and both of St. Lucia's commercial airports closed that night when the last airplanes landed as the storm's outer rainbands began to sweep over the island.[12] At 11 p.m. AST August 16 (0300 UTC August 17) the NHC upgraded the tropical storm watch on U.S. Virgin Islands to a tropical storm warning.[13] The next morning, as the center of Hurricane Dean passed near St. Lucia and Martinique, the Meteorological Service of Antigua issued a tropical storm warning for the British Virgin Islands.[14]

Impact

The storm entered the Caribbean through the Saint Lucia Channel between St. Lucia and Martinique on the morning of August 17 as a Category 2 storm.[9]

Windward Islands

St. Lucia

Power outages began in some neighborhoods at 6:30 p.m. AST (2230 UTC) August 16, over 12 hours before the storm arrived, and by the morning were island wide. The night saw heavy rains and intense thunderstorms and by morning hurricane force winds peaked at 80 kt (90 mph, 145 km/h).[15] The winds uprooted trees,[4] downed electricity poles, disabled bridges, triggered landslides, and damaged several roofs. The winds also blew the corrugated metal roof off Victoria Hospital's pediatric ward, but its patients had already been evacuated.[16] The capital, Castries, was flooded by the storm surge and high seas deposited boulders and fishing boats on the streets. The island's banana sector was severely damaged, with several of the plantations waterlogged or outright destroyed.[17] One person drowned in Sarrot after being swept away by a rain-swollen river while trying to recover a cow.[18][19] Flooding was also reported in the Dennery where a number of residents had to be evacuated.[20]

Martinique

Martinique experienced 66 kt (76 mph, 122 km/h) winds with gusts to 90 kt (103 mph, 167 km/h).[9] The torrential rainfall caused flooding throughout the island, with the town of Rivière-Pilote flooding completely. The majority of Martinique's population were been left without electricity, water, telephone, or food.[21][22] The storm destroyed Martinique's entire banana crop, and 70% of the island's sugar cane plantations.[23] A 90-year-old man died from a heart attack and another elderly person died during the storm, although it is unclear whether these deaths were related to Dean.[24][25]

Officials estimated the damage on the island at about €150 million (US$200 million).[26]

Dominica

In Dominica, a mother and her seven-year-old son died when one of a dozen landslide caused by the heavy rains fell onto their house.[27] Landslides also blocked several roads in the mountainous country.[28] In another incident two people were injured when a tree fell on their house.[17] Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit estimated that 100 to 125 homes were damaged, and that the agriculture sector was extensively damaged.[29]

Trinidad

Although the winds and rain of the hurricane did not reach as far south as the islands of Trinidad and Tobago, sea swells on the east coast killed two people as they tried to secure a boat.[30]

Leeward Islands

Guadeloupe

Hurricane Dean destroyed 80% of the banana and 70% of the sugar cane plantations in Guadeloupe.[31] These two crops are the country's main exports.[32]

Aftermath

Although St. Lucia suffered significant damage to its residential structures and agricultural land, it's airports and hotels were operational within days having needed only small-scale repair work. Hospitals and other essential services kept running on standby power supplied by independent generators to assist in the cleanup and recovery efforts.[33] Roads connecting the north and south of the island were quickly cleared.[34] LUCELEC, the nation's only electricity provider,[35] worked around the clock to repair dozens of downed electrical poles and restore electricity by August 21.[34]

Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit declared declared August 19, 2007 to be a national day of prayer and thanksgiving.[36]

In the days after to storm, some residents of Martinique, still without electricity, food, water, or telephones, took to looting stores and bakeries. Utility workers from Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and France arrived on August 19 to help restore electricity.[37]

References

  1. ^ Brown (2007). "Tropical Storm Dean Public Advisory Eleven". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  2. ^ Brown (2007). "Tropical Storm Dean Forecast/Advisory Eleven". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2007-08-18.
  3. ^ a b Staff writer (2007-08-16). "Hurricane Dean strengthens as it takes aim at Caribbean islands". Associated Press. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
  4. ^ a b Staff writer (2007-08-17). "Hurricane hits eastern Caribbean". BBC News. Retrieved 2007-08-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ Beven (2007). "Hurricane Dean Public Advisory Twelve". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
  6. ^ Blake/Avila (2007). "Hurricane Dean Public Advisory Twelve A". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
  7. ^ Pasch (2007). "Hurricane Dean Tropical Cyclone Update". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
  8. ^ Blake/Avila (2007). "Hurricane Dean Public Advisory Thirteen". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
  9. ^ a b c Avila (2007). "Tropical Storm Dean Discussion Seventeen". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
  10. ^ Blake/Avila (2007). "Hurricane Dean Public Advisory Fourteen". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
  11. ^ Franklin/Brown (2007). "Hurricane Dean Public Advisory Fourteen A". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
  12. ^ Michael Melia (2007-08-17). ""(AP) Hurricane Takes Aim at Caribbean Islands"". NashvilleWx. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
  13. ^ Franklin/Brown (2007). "Hurricane Dean Public Advisory Fifteen". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
  14. ^ Beven (2007). "Hurricane Dean Public Advisory Sixteen". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
  15. ^ http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/news-3095--20-20--.html
  16. ^ CTV.ca News Staff (2007). "Hurricane Dean upgraded to powerful Category 4". CTV.ca. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
  17. ^ a b "Hurricane claims one life in St. Lucia and possibly two in Dominica". CBC. 2007-08-17. Retrieved 2007-08-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ BBC NEWS (2007-08-17). "Caribbean storm gathers strength". BBC News. Retrieved 2007-08-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ Staff writer (2007-08-17). "Hurricane Dean Gains Power in Caribbean". Associated Press. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
  20. ^ http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/news-3095--20-20--.html
  21. ^ http://www.caribbean360.com/News/Weather/Stories/2007/08/20/NEWS0000004782.html
  22. ^ Staff writer (2007-08-18). "Hurricane Dean intensifies". Agence France-Presse. Retrieved 2007-08-18.
  23. ^ Staff writer (2007-08-18). "Hurricane destroys Martinique, Guadeloupe bananas". Reuters. Retrieved 2007-08-18.
  24. ^ "Eastern Caribbean islands take a hit". Jamaica Gleaner. 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-18.
  25. ^ Carlos Barria (2007-08-18). "Hurricane Dean bears down on Jamaica". Reuters. Retrieved 2007-08-18.
  26. ^ Staff writer (2007-08-19). "Jamaica alert as Dean threatens". BBC News. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  27. ^ Jonathan Katz (2007-08-18). "Hurricane Dean Gains Caribbean Strength". Associated Press. Retrieved 2007-08-18.
  28. ^ http://www.caribbean360.com/News/Weather/Stories/2007/08/20/NEWS0000004782.html
  29. ^ "Dominica Badly Affected". CBC. 2007-08-17. Retrieved 2007-08-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  30. ^ http://www.caribbean360.com/News/Weather/Stories/2007/08/20/NEWS0000004782.html
  31. ^ Reuters (2007-08-19). "Hurricane Dean smashes Caribbean: Texas braces". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 2007-08-20. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  32. ^ Guadeloupe Guide (2004). "Tourism and banana farming are major breadwinners for Guadeloupe's economy". Guadeloupe Guide. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
  33. ^ http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/EGUA-769NZG?OpenDocument
  34. ^ a b Graham Greenaway (2007-08-21). "St Lucia survives Hurricane Dean largely unscathed". BookFHR. Retrieved 2007-08-22.
  35. ^ Lucelec (2007-08-21). "Discover LUCELEC". St. Lucia Electricity Services Ltd. Retrieved 2007-08-22.
  36. ^ http://www.caribbean360.com/News/Weather/Stories/2007/08/20/NEWS0000004782.html
  37. ^ http://www.caribbean360.com/News/Weather/Stories/2007/08/20/NEWS0000004782.html
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