OCHA Situation Report No. 3
Nicaragua - Hurricane Beta
31 October 2005


This Situation Report is based on information compiled and received by
the Resident Coordinator's Office in Nicaragua and OCHA Regional Office
in Panama.

Situation

1. On 29 October, Tropical storm Beta became a hurricane. Hurricane Beta
hit Nicaragua's Caribbean coast in Karabal and Sandy Bay, with heavy
rains and powerful winds on 30 October, at 4 am local time as thousands
of people tried to avoid its consequences by finding refuge in
government shelters. The storm came ashore near the remote town of La
Barra as a Category 2 hurricane with 105 mph winds. Beta lost some punch
before making landfall and a late turn to the south spared the port of
Puerto Cabezas from a direct hit. Although there were no deaths reported
after Beta, heavy rains could trigger deadly landslides and flooding.

2. The National Hurricane Centre in Miami reports that Beta is
dissipating over Nicaragua. Before weakening into a tropical depression,
hurricane Beta tore the roofs off homes and uprooted trees across
Nicaragua. The depression is moving toward the west near 15 km/hr or 9
mph. A westward to west-southwestward motion is expected during the next
24 hrs. This would take the remains of Beta into the eastern North
Pacific. The remains of Beta are expected to produce additional rainfall
accumulations of 4 to 8 inches over portions of Nicaragua, Honduras and
El Salvador.

3. According to authorities, 9,970 people were evacuated from Sandy Bay,
Barra de Rio Grande, Walpa, Karawala, Kara, Esperanza, Guadalupe and
Company Creek. In this area, Beta provoked inundations and considerable
damage to various indigenous communities.

National Response

4. The municipal committees for the disaster prevention, mitigation and
response remain activated in 135 municipalities.

5. According to Civil Defence, 75 shelters have been habilitated with
approximately 30,000 people. A change in the trajectory of the hurricane
has forced the authorities to redirect their resources to respond the
new situation affecting the south Atlantic.

6. The government of Nicaragua is in the process of acquiring further
information and data on the damages caused by Beta.

UN System Response

7. The UN has established an operation's center in the UN facilities
from where the UN Country Team, UN Emergency Team and UNDAC are
continuously monitoring, coordinating and following the situation.

8. The UN has deployed a team of experts in logistics, security, shelter
and coordination to Puerto Cabezas on 29 October, to support the
Nicaraguan Government's Executive Secretariat of the National System for
Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Attention (SINAPRED). Due to the
change of trajectory, specialized personnel and UNDAC experts will be
deployed to Bluefields to initiate the strengthening of UN's presence in
that area. Part of the team has been redirected from Puerto Cabezas to
Managua to support efforts of coordination and contribute to information
management.

9. In order to strengthen the mechanisms of coordination between the
actors, as well as to record the response activities, a meeting between
NGOs, SINAPRED, and the UN was organized on 29 October. On 30 October, a
follow up meeting was organized which was also attended by the
Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Family, Civil Defense
and the national police. The parties were informed of estimated impact
and damages, and agreed to (i) do a recognition flight if the weather
allows it on 31 October, (ii) convene a third meeting between
authorities, UN and NGOs for the same day, (iii) consolidate the data
from the affected areas and different organisms to have a global view of
the impact of the damages.

10. With the support of UNDAC, UN is elaborating maps to facilitate the
coordination between all the emergency actors in the affected areas.

NGOs and bilateral assistance

11. According to NGOs attending the first meeting on 29 October, the
following international assistance is available:

- The Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance has donated USD 50,000
   for local purchase and fuel.
- HANDICAP International is preparing technical support for the
   integration of handicapped people in interventions after the impact.
- TELECOM without frontiers will make available a communications center.
- CARE is already supporting the health sector, drinking water,
   management of shelter and rehabilitation in some affected areas.
- CONSUDE is giving assistance through a disaster prevention programme
   and facilitates the access to its municipality maps of the northern
   part of Nicaragua.
- The International Federation of the Red Cross is assisting the
   Nicaraguan Red Cross with three teams. Additionally, it is working in
   direct coordination with the Catholic Church in the affected zone.
- Action against hunger can distribute drinking water for 20,000 people.


12. OCHA is in close contact with the United Nations Resident
Coordinator's Offices in Nicaragua, and will revert with further
information as it becomes available.

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

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

Telephone: +41-22-917 12 34
Fax: +41-22-917 00 23
E-mail: ochagva@un.org

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

Desk Officer:
  Mr. Dusan Zupka
    E-mail: zupka@un.org
    direct Tel. +41-22-917 1645
  Mr. Ricardo Mena
    E-mail: menar@un.org
    direct Tel. +41-22-917 1455

Press contact:
  GVA - Ms. Elizabeth Byrs, direct Tel. +41-22-917 2653
  NYC - Ms. Stephanie Bunker, direct Tel. +1-917-367 51 26

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