OCHA Situation Report No. 7
Hurricane Michelle - Cuba /Jamaica/ Honduras
6 November 2001


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

1.  On 6 November at 1500 GMT, the center of Hurricane Michelle was
located near latitude 27.5 north, longitude 68.4 west or about 400 miles
(650 km) southwest of Bermuda. Maximum sustained winds are near 75 mph
(120 km/hr) with higher gusts.

2.  A Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect for Bermuda.

3.  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.


Cuba

4.  On 5 November, the Cuban Civil Defense reported the following impact
by the passage of Hurricane Michelle:

- 5 people dead
- 12 people injured
- 750,000 people still evacuated
- 768,015 animals herded to higher round
- In the Isla de la Juventud, 63 buildings have been damaged, 20,000
  tons of citrus fruit have been lost as well as 470 hectares of farmland.
- In Havana City 1,550 buildings have been damaged along with 26 schools
  and 10 day care centers.


5.  Media reports that in La Havana more then 2 million people lost power
and authorities were forced to cut off the supply of treated tap water.
Many people had stored water prior to the storm following the Government's
advisory.

6.  According to the United Nations Resident Coordinator's Office in Cuba,
full reports on damage suffered by the Central Provinces of Matanzas,
Cienfuegos and Villa Clara are still unavailable, as communication systems
have been disrupted.

7.  The Cuban Civil Defense is fielding provincial groups to assess
damage.


Jamaica

8.  The United Nations Resident Coordinator's Office in Jamaica informs
that the Office of Disaster Preparedness in Jamaica issued on 2 November a
preliminary report of the damage caused to various sectors as follows:

- roads (estimated at approx. USD 9 million),
- gameon baskets, to stop land erosion (estimated at approx. USD 8.5
  million),
- water supply systems (estimated at approx. USD 450,000),
- health facilities (estimated at approx. USD 380,000).


9.   There has been no report on damage to agriculture yet, but assistance
is expected to be needed in replanting.

10.  6,000 households are without electricity and there is a lack of
potable water and shelter.


Contributions

11.  OCHA has allocated an emergency grant of USD 20,000, a second grant
of USD 20,000 from the Norwegian Emergency Cash Reserve and a third grant
of USD 20,000 from the Danish Emergency Cash Reserve for Cuba.

12.  OCHA has allocated an emergency grant of USD 15,000 and a second
grant of USD 15,000 from the Norwegian Emergency Cash Reserve for
Honduras.

13.  For coordination purposes, donors are requested to inform OCHA
Geneva, on relief missions/pledges/contributions and their corresponding
values by item. Donors are encouraged to notify OCHA Geneva of their
contributions to this disaster using the OCHA Standardised Contributions
Recording Format, available electronically at the OCHA Internet Website at
http://www.reliefweb.int.

14.  OCHA is prepared to serve as channel for cash contributions to be
used for immediate relief assistance, in co-ordination/consultation with
relevant organizations in the United Nations system.  Funds should be
transferred to OCHA account no. CO-590.160.0, Swift code: UBSWCHZ12A at
the UBS AG, P.O.  Box 2770, CH-1211 Geneva 2, with reference: "OCHA -Name
of Country- Hurricane Michelle-".  OCHA provides donors with written
confirmation and pertinent details concerning the utilization of the funds
contributed.

15.  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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