Greater Antilles Hurricane Dean

hurricane dean, prominent eye visible, photographed astronauts on international space station

hurricane warnings issued of jamaica, haiti port-au-prince dominican border, , dominican republic barahona haitian border. tropical storm warnings issued rest of hispaniola , coastal cuba between camagüey , guantánamo. hundreds of thousands evacuated vulnerable low-lying , coastal areas , disaster management programs activated throughout greater antilles.

jamaica, forecast bear brunt of hurricane dean, underwent extensive preparations. jamaican government executed long-standing evacuation plans, including converting country s national arena shelter , relocating inmates 2 maximum security prisons. political parties in island suspended campaigning august 27 national elections, allow residents prepare storm. curfews put in place parts of island, while off-duty essential personnel called work. more 1,000 schools , churches converted emergency shelters, residents occupied 47 of them before storm s arrival. evidently country s high crime rate led islanders fear belongings should abandon homes. unicef prepared 4 emergency health kits , 1,000 water containers , copa airlines agreed fly supplies jamaica on scheduled august 22 flight, if possible. world food program prepared food stocks in nearby haiti, ready move them jamaica if needed. united nations disaster assessment , coordination (undac) team tried reach jamaica, 1 member arrived before incoming flights canceled. united states confirmed offer aid if needed, , north-west caribbean donor group met decide actions need taken.

hms portland followed dean through caribbean, prepared support damaged islands if necessary.

the island of hispaniola predicted heavily affected storm. workers world vision supplied food, clean water, medicines , emergency generators in southern provinces of dominican republic, , in southern departments of haiti hurricane warnings had been issued. in low-lying areas, 1,580 residents of dominican republic , more 1,000 haitians evacuated storm approached. small craft advised stay in port, while haiti s toussaint louverture international airport closed.

the cayman islands expected suffer badly if hurricane dean passed close, , mandatory evacuations instigated low-lying little cayman. tourists forbidden entering island , flights added evacuate there. schools , civic centers converted shelters on grand cayman , cayman brac, and, despite mandatory evacuation, 1 shelter opened on little cayman residents remained there. expecting catastrophic damage, 2 royal navy ships of atlantic patrol task (north), hms portland , rfa wave ruler, followed 150 mi (240 km) behind storm in order arrive @ cayman after hurricane possible.

cuba , puerto rico, neither of expected experience worst of dean s strength, prepared more modestly. cuba s civil defense evacuated 350,000 people coastal provinces. government in havana suspended tourist programs ahead of storm. soldiers , emergency officials prepared convert schools , other government buildings temporary shelters, stood down when became evident not needed. u.s. federal emergency management agency (fema) deployed five-member team puerto rico ahead of hurricane dean. equipped satellite communication systems provide video-teleconferencing , make real-time assessments of damage.