OCHA Situation Report No. 2
Dominican Republic: Tropical Storm Olga
15 December 2007


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

This situation report is based on information received from the United
Nations Resident Coordinators in country and OCHA Regional Office in
Panama.

HIGHLIGHTS

- Tropical Storm Olga has claimed the lives of 35 people. Some 49,170
persons were evacuated and 3,727 are in shelters.

- Needs assessments are ongoing in the affected areas to update the Noel
Flash Appeal.

SITUATION

1. Olga developed from a low-pressure system into a named storm Monday
10 December, although the Atlantic hurricane season officially ended
November 30. The centre of Tropical Storm Olga passed through the middle
of the Dominican Republic overnight Tuesday to Wednesday on a direct
westward path. Olga has weaken to a tropical depression and moved over
the waters between Cuba and Jamaica. The depression is expected to
become a remnant low within the next 12 hours.

2. Olga is expected to produce additional rainfall, accumulations of 1
to 2 inches over the southeastern Bahamas, eastern Cuba, Jamaica and
Hispaniola.

3. The storm passed Puerto Rico on Tuesday night, claiming one death and
causing power shortage to 79,000 people. In Haiti, two people died in
the Department Nord, two were injured and one is missing. Some roads are
still blocked, and 418 houses are damaged and 52 destroyed.

Forecast

4. The National Meteorological Office ONAMET forecasts better weather
conditions however low to moderate rains will continue in the North
East, the North, South East, Valle Del Cibao and the border area as a
result of the passage of Olga.

5. The Emergency Operations Centre (COE) is maintaining a red alert in
30 provinces: Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional, San Cristobal, Monte
Plata, Santiago Rodriguez, Dajabon, San Pedro de Macoris, Santiago,
Puerto Plata, Espaillat, Hermanas Mirabal (Salcedo), Duarte (Bajo Yuna),
Maria Trinidad S=E1nchez, Saman=E1, Montecristi, Valverde- Mao, S=E1nchez
Ramirez, El Seibo, La Romana, Hato Mayor (in particular Sabana de la
Mar), La Altagracia, La Vega, Monsenor Nouel, Peravia, Azua, San Jose de
Ocoa, Pedernales, Independencia, San Juan de la Maguana and Barahona.
Two provinces are under a yellow alert.

Impact

6. So far the death toll stands at 35 people and one injured. Some
49,170 persons were evacuated, 3,727 are in shelters. Some 9,543 houses
were damaged, 291 were destroyed and 189 communities are isolated. Four
bridges and 23 roads were damaged.

7. In view of the possible overflow of the river Yaque del Norte, the
Civil Defense and local emergency authorities had preventively evacuated
about 8,000 families in Guayubin, Palo Verde, Castanuelas, Loma de
Castanuelas, Bajo Yuna and Mao

8. In the national District, La Cienaga, Capotillo, La Zurza and Los
Girasoles suburbs are the most affected.

Health, water and sanitation

9. On 12 December, the State Department for Public Health and Social
Support (SESPAS) issued a epidemiological alert as a prevention to
possible surge of infections and water born diseases. So far, no damage
to health infrastructure in any of the affected areas was reported.

10. In Santiago, the drinking water service is operating at 30% of its
capacity. River Yaque's overflow damaged the water treatment plant and
the aqueduct system in Mao. The National Water Institute reported that
45 aqueducts,

11 water irrigation channels and 23 hydraulic systems were damaged in
Cibao Central. The Emergency Operation Centre (COE) informs that water
levels in five dams (Valdesia, Rincon, Sabaneta, Hatillo and Jiguey)
have increased over their maximum storage level.

Food security and nutrition

11. In Duarte province, damages up to millions of pesos are reported to
rice and fruit crops. River Yaque del Norte's overflow caused the total
destruction of bananas and tomatoes plantations. In Linea Noroeste and
Cibao Central regions, 90% of the bananas plantations have been damaged.
In Moca, 80% have been destroyed.

Infrastructure

12. According to the COE, four bridges (three in La Vega province and
one in Mao-Valverde) were damaged as a result of the rains. The
Electricity Company EDENORTE provided electricity to only 48% of its
beneficiaries as a result of damages in the electricity systems in the
Cibao region. In the South, 10 networks of the Electricity Company
EDESUR remained out of order causing power shortages in the
municipalities of Pedro Brand, Bayona and la Isabela, Santo Domingo
province, and areas in Cristobal, Bani, San Juan and Barahona. In the
East, the Electricity Company EDESTE reported that at least 7 networks
have been damaged.

NATIONAL RESPONSE

13. President Leonel Fern=E1ndez qualified as a tragedy the loss of lives
and promised assistance to those affected.

14. The State Department for Public Health and Social Support (SESPAS)
and the Pan American Health Organization put in place a health medical
centre in the province of Santiago to assist those displaced by the
floods. SESPAS is also intensifying preventive actions that include
fumigation, prophylaxis, and medical interventions. SESPAS has made
available to provincial and municipal authorities medical kits donated
by Cuba and Brasil during the Noel emergency. SESPAS and PAHO
distributed chemical latrines and six boxes of more that 30,000 water
purification tabs.

15. The Government is also distributing food and non-food items to the
affected persons in various points in the country. Food assistance is
carried out through the Social Plan of the Presidency in coordination
with local emergency authorities.

16. The Secretary of Agriculture has dispatched almost 100 brigades to
help in the rehabilitation of plantations and other crops affected.

17. Large search and rescue operations and evacuations were carried out
in the North and Northeast. Pressure and water level in damns are
closely monitored by authorities as some damns have almost reached their
maximum capacity, notably Taveras and Sabana Yegua. The technical
committee had to increase the drainage of the pressure in the Travera
damn to avoid its collapse due to rainfall registered in the basin of
the Yaque del Norte river.

18. A large scale search and rescue operations as well as evacuations
are on going in the North and North East. Provincial and municipal
emergency operations Centres (COE) have been activated as well as
emergency plans of rescue organizations.

INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE

19. The UNETE has been reactivated to analyze the information received
on the extent of the damages created by Olga. A meeting with the Under
Secretary of International Cooperation was held to discuss the UN-
system various initiatives to assist the Government in the response. The
Resident Coordinator and the UNETE will update the Noel Flash Appeal
accordingly to take into account new needs crated by Olga. On 14
December, the World Food Programme (WFP) launched an appeal for USD 4
million to provide aid to 55,000 victims of Olga and Noel in the
Dominican Republic.

20. On 13 December, the UNDMT dispatched three inter-agency teams to
assess Linea Noroeste, Mao- Valverde and Montecristi, Santiago and La
Vega areas. Other assessment missions will be visiting the affected
areas on 14 December.

21. The Dominican Red Cross (DRC) emergency response teams are on alert
and 2,000 volunteers are waiting for the situation to evolve in order to
provide assistance. The NS also has 10 coordination centres and more
than 117 operative centres waiting for further instructions if needed.
There is one Regional Intervention Team (RIT) member already positioned
in country supporting another emergency and is available if further
assistance is needed. There are several Partner National Societies (PNS)
present in country who are informed and alerted of the situation in
order to provide further assistance if the conditions worsen. The
Operation Centre has been activated and is in contact with all
pertaining agencies in country.

22. The National Societies of the Dominican Republic with the support of
the Federation has determined that external assistance is not required
at this time, and are therefore not seeking funding or other assistance
from donors at this time

23. A meeting was held between the International Federation and the
Latin America and the Caribbean Network of Environmental Funds (REDLAC)
in order to share information about these emergency and other recent
ones in the region.

24. All United Nations agencies present in the Dominican Republic have
stated to be working at full capacity at the time in response to recent
emergencies; therefore no further assistance has been requested from
them.

25. This situation report, together with further information regarding
on-going emergencies, is also available on the Reliefweb:
http://www.reliefweb.int.


Contact Details

For detailed information please contact:

Desk Officer (New York)
Ms. Heidi Kuttab
Office Tel: +1 917 367-3365
Office Fax: +1 212 963-36 30
E-mail: kuttab@un.org

GCMS (Geneva)
Ms. Aoibheann O'Keeffe
Office Tel: +41 22 917 4329
E-mail: okeeffe@un.org

OCHA Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean
Mr. Douglas Reimer
Regional Disaster Response Adviser
Office Tel. +507 317-1748
Office Fax +507 317-1744
Mobile: +507 6676-1689
E-mail: reimer@un.org


Press Contact:

(New York)
Ms. Stephanie Bunker
Office Tel : + 1 917-367-5126
Office Fax: + 1 212-963-1312
Email: bunker@un.org

(Geneva)
Ms. Elizabeth Byrs Office
Tel + 41 22 917 26 53
Office Fax + 41 22 917 00 20
E-mail: byrs@un.org

Attachments:
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/retrieveattachments?openagent&docid=BF6FB1CDD7C73C8AC12573B200520A19&file=Full_Report.pdf

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