OCHA Situation Report No. 3
Caribbean - Hurricane Michelle
2 November 2001


The Government of Honduras Requests International Assistance

Hurricane Michelle

This message is not an official hurricane warning or alert for any
country.

1.  Tropical Storm Michelle, the thirteenth tropical storm of the 2001
Atlantic hurricane season, which brought heavy rainfall to Central
America, now became a hurricane.

2.  The National Weather Center in Miami reports that at 1500 GMT, 2
November 2001, the center of Hurricane Michelle was located near latitude
17.9 north, longitude 83.9 west or about 280 miles (450 km)
south-southeast of the Western tip of Cuba. Maximum sustained winds are
near 75 mph (120 km/hr) with higher gusts.

3.  Hurricane watch is in effect for the following provinces in western
Cuba: Pinar del Rio, La Habana, Ciudad de la Habana, Matanzas and Isla de
la Juventud.


Situation in Honduras

4.  On 1 November, the Government of Honduras requested international
assistance.

5.  The Permanent Commission for Contingencies (COPECO) also declared Red
Alert for the entire national territory on 1 November. According to
COPECO, 7,371 people were evacuated and 21,691 people have been affected.

6.  Temporary shelters are in operation at the following five locations:
La Lima (Instituto Patria y Autopista), La Ceiba (Gimnasio Ascona),
Progreso (perdiz), La Maslca (Sala Evangelica y Centro Comunal) and
Trujillo (Montecristo).

7.  The Government appealed the international community, requesting the
following items in order to assist people in temporary shelters:

- 115,000 gallons of drinking water
- 16,000 food rations
- 60 zodiac or light-weight boats for evacuation and search and rescue
  purposes
- 200 tents for temporary shelters As of 3 November, the Government will
  provide information on the following web page: www.sre.hn.


8.  The following three principal roads have been damaged:

- Dept. of Yoro:  Yoro to Santa Rita (three bridges destroyed)
- Dept. of Atlantida:  Tela to La Ceiba (one bridge damaged)
- Dept. of Colon:  Tocoa to Coyoles in the sector of Olanchito
  (disconnected)


9.  For further information, please refer to the website of the National
Hurricane Service in Miami at www.nhc.noaa.gov, and
www.solar.ifa.hawaii.edu/Tropical/Gif/atl.latest.gif.

10.  This situation report, together with further information on ongoing
emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website at
http://www.reliefweb.int


Telephone: +41-22-91712 34
Fax: +41-22-917 00 23
E-mail: ochagva@un.org

In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10

Desk Officers (OCHA Response Coordination Branch):
  Mr. E. Haegglund / Ms. M. Kondo
  Direct Tel. +41-22-917 32 99/1997

Press contact:
  (GVA)  Ms. Elizabeth Byrs, direct Tel. +41-22-917 26 56
  (NYC)  Ms. Phyllis Lee, direct Tel. +1-212-963 48 32


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