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Bridgetown, Barbados August 17, 2021 – The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) is preparing to deploy CARICOM Operational Support Team (COST) members into Haiti following an official request for coordination assistance from Haiti’s Department of Civil Protection through the CDEMA Regional Response Mechanism (RRM). In the first instance, Dr. Virginia Clerveaux, Director of the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies, Turks and Caicos Islands, will be deployed to provide direct support to the Emergency Operations Centre in Haiti.

Civil Protection Haiti reported that:

  • A 7.2 magnitude earthquake was recorded on Saturday 14 August at around 0830 am in the South Region of the Haiti The earthquake, which was at a depth of 10 km, was followed by a number of aftershock.
  • The epicenter was located 13 km to the South-South-East of Petit Trou de Nippes, in the Departments of Nippes, Grand'Anse and Sud, with a combined population representing around 16% of the country's total population, estimated at 11.4 million.

National Hurricane Centre (NHC) Update

According to the National Hurricane Center ( At 1100 AM AST 1500 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Fred was located near latitude 18 2 North, longitude 69 7 West Fred is moving toward the west northwest near 16 mph (26 km/h), and a general west northwestward motion with a decrease in forward speed is expected to continue for the next few days.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

A scientific update by the UWI Seismic Research Centre on August 4 2021 reported the following:

  • Seismic activity at La Soufrière, St Vincent has remained low since the tremor associated with the explosion and ash venting on 22 April In the last 24 hours, only a few small earthquakes have been recorded.
  • Current activity is consistent with a period of unrest after an eruption. This can continue for weeks to months. While volcanic activity has been on a decline, there is the continued presence of near surface hot spots, daily seismic activity and persistent degassing.

Bridgetown, Barbados July 30, 2021– The CDEMA Coordinating Unit recently hosted the 12th Meeting of the Comprehensive Disaster Management Coordination and Harmonization Council (CDM CHC), funded by the Targeted Support to CDEMA Project. Nine regional institutions, seven development partners and representatives for two sub regional focal points came together virtually to further the CDM/Resilience conversation in the Caribbean.

Bridgetown, Barbados July 29, 2021– The CDEMA Coordinating Unit hosted its third annual Exercise SYNERGY on July 28, 2021, to facilitate coordination of emergency response operations with partners of the Regional Response Mechanism (RRM). Over 70 regional and international stakeholders participated in the online “War-Gaming” discussions, to review operations in response to the fast onset hazards of tropical cyclones and earthquakes.  

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Elsa upgraded around 7 45 am ( on Friday July 2 2021 Elsa impacted Barbados with maximum sustained winds near 75 mph, with higher gusts Elsa continued its path west northwest near 28 mph 44 (km/h) and passed near or over portions of the Windward Islands or the southern Leeward Islands As of 11:00 am EDT Monday July 5 Tropical Storm Elsa had passed Jamaica, Haiti and the Cayman Islands. No other CDEMA Participating States are threatened at this time.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Elsa upgraded around 7:45 am (AST) on Friday July 2, 2021. Elsa impacted Barbados with maximum sustained winds near 75 mph, with higher gusts. Elsa continued its path
west-northwest near 28 mph (44 km/h) and passed near or over portions of the Windward Islands or the southern Leeward Islands. Elsa moved across the eastern Caribbean Sea on July 2, and on its present track, TS Elsa will move across the southern Hispaniola and Jamaica today into Sunday. Cayman Islands and Cuba may experience heavy rains on Sunday and into Monday.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

At 500 PM the center of Hurricane Elsa was located near latitude 14.2 North, longitude 63.7 West. Elsa is moving toward the west near 30 mph (48 km/h), and this motion is expected to continue through Saturday (July 3). A west-northwestward motion with a decrease in forward speed is expected Saturday night and Sunday (July 4), followed by a turn toward the northwest Sunday night or Monday (July 5). On the forecast track, Elsa will move across the eastern Caribbean Sea on July 2 and move near the southern coast of Hispaniola late Saturday or Saturday night. By Sunday, Elsa is forecast to move near Jamaica and portions of eastern Cuba, and move near portions of central and western
Cuba Sunday night and Monday.

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