Seattle, Washington, August 21, 2007 ÃÂ Damage from Hurricane Dean as it makes a second landfall in Mexico tonight may be extensive despite the fact the storm has been downgraded significantly, disaster relief experts said today.
World Vision, an international Christian humanitarian agency, has relief staff positioned to assess damage from Dean's first strike in Mexico and prepare an emergency response for the country's hardest-hit areas.
Hurricane Dean made landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula early this morning as a Category 5 storm, crossing the peninsula toward the Gulf of Mexico. It is expected to make landfall again on eastern Mexico's shore near Veracruz. Although the hurricane's force has declined, it is still dangerous.
"The damage from the next strike of Hurricane Dean could be greater because of the larger population base on the coastal plain near Veracruz and the fact that the region is so poor," said Francois de la Roche, World Vision's emergency response director in Latin America and the Caribbean. "We are extremely concerned about this second strike, especially because we have programs in the area."
World Vision is ready to respond with blankets, sheets, personal hygiene articles and medicines stored in warehouses in Mexico City and ready for transport as needed. Availability of potable water will also be among immediate needs in the storm's aftermath.
The storm hit land well south of Cancun and Merida, the capital of Yucatan state. As soon as weather conditions permit, relief workers will assess the emergency needs of vulnerable rural communities located in low lands, which are easily flooded and at risk of becoming isolated.
World Vision has been engaged in development projects throughout Mexico since 1963, and now operates about 20 area development programs across the country. U.S. donors sponsor more than 27,000 children in Mexico through World Vision.
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World Vision relief staff are available for interviews. Please contact Brian Peterson at +1.407.491.2399 or bpeterso@worldvision.org or Casey Calamusa at +1.206.310.5476 or ccalamus@worldvision.org
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender. Visit www.worldvision.org/press.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
