CDEMA deploys teams to support The Bahamas ahead of Hurricane Dorian

As the Northern Islands of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas brace for the pending impact of Hurricane Dorian, CDEMA has once again taken the lead to coordinate the Regional Response Mechanism (RRM) in support of this Participating State.

CDEMA, with the financial support of the Government of the United Kingdom through the Department for International Development (DFID) and on behalf of the Caribbean Development Partners Group on Disaster Management, Saturday deployed two Rapid Needs Assessment Teams to Nassau, Bahamas.

The teams which are led by CDEMA, comprise 18 people and will include representatives of the CDEMA Participating States of Antigua and the Turks and Caicos Islands as well as the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC), Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Port Managers Association of the Caribbean (PMAC), Private Sector, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), the University of the West Indies (UWI) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

This deployment is in direct response to a request from the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.

The Rapid Needs Assessment Teams are expected to support assessments on the family islands most impacted by Dorian in the aftermath of the event.

The teams will support the Government of the Bahamas in rapidly assessing the damage from the hurricane and in prioritizing needs.

CDEMA in collaboration with the United Nations Resident Coordinator for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean convened daily briefings on Dorian since Sunday August 25, 2019 to plan for possible impact scenarios as Dorian traversed the region.

Briefings are informed by analysis from the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) which provides a technical understanding of the system and analyzes the implications for countries in line of the impact.

Partner agencies who are members of this group including regional and international donors and development partners are monitoring the system.

As Dorian progressed across the Eastern Caribbean this week, the CDEMA Coordinating Unit maintained contact with the National Disaster Coordinators (NDCs) in threatened States including Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the Virgin Islands. Minimal damage was reported in the Easter Caribbean States.

“CDEMA has maintained a high level of readiness in support of all Participating States threatened by Hurricane Dorian. We took a decision to pre-deploy in this instance in view of the threat and after consultation with the Bahamas. Being on the ground will allow the regional support to be mobilized immediately after the all clear. CDEMA deeply appreciates the support of the Government of the United Kingdom to the Regional Response Mechanism.” said Ronald Jackson, Executive Director of CDEMA.

CDEMA will continue to monitor the progress of Hurricane Dorian and provide updates as necessary. The Regional Coordination Plan remains activated and CDEMA stands ready to support the Commonwealth of the Bahamas as required.