The National Emergency Operations Center (COUN) has issued a first situation report after Hurricane Deryl, classified 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale (the highest level), passed over the Caribbean Sea.

This first COUN report presents a first partial assessment of the situation, for the period from Tuesday July 2nd at 10:00 a.m. to Wednesday July 3rd at 10:00 a.m. It includes most of the information produced by the various departmental Civil Protection directorates concerned and activated departmental COUs (COUD).

• The passage of major hurricane Beryl off the southern coast of Haiti caused minor damage to housing. Floods caused by rising seas have been reported in several municipalities, particularly in the South-East where the waters have progressed up to 100 meters inland in places.

• In Cayemites, rescuers, dispatched by the town hall, rescued the occupants of a small boat in distress, coming from Port-au-Prince

• Damage was recorded in the agricultural sector in Grand Boucan and in the South where assessments are continuing.

• Orange vigilance was maintained for the south of the country and yellow vigilance for the departments of Nippes and the West during the day on Wednesday. The outskirts of Béryl still generated heavy stormy showers, strong gusts, spontaneous winds and strong swells on Wednesday morning in the South, South-East and Grand'Anse departments.

The Carcasse River, in the commune of Lrois, was in flood on Wednesday morning.

On Wednesday on the South Coast, waves could reach heights of 10 to 17 feet and the sea remained very rough on the coast and heavy offshore. The ban on cabotage operations is maintained until the evening.

Human toll :

According to initial assessments, no loss of life or injuries has been recorded to date.

Agriculture, livestock and fishing :

In the South-East, damage was recorded in the fishing sector with two boats damaged respectively in Cayes-Jacmel and Marigot. The waves swept away two yachts in Bainet.

In Nippes, four fishing boats were destroyed in Grand-Boucan where plantations were also devastated by strong winds.

Assessments are continuing in the South where cases of devastated plantations and destruction of fishing boats have been reported.

Infrastructures :

In the South-East, the road is cut at Marigot, at Anse Colin, at the entrance to the town. Sea waters invaded the coast several tens of meters inland. In coastal communities : 100m in Marigot, near Cotterelle to Guillaumonde, where several streets are flooded; 30m to Cayes-Jacmel, Raymond-les-Bains; up to 50m at Bainet, in several places; almost 10m in Côtes-de-Fer; 50m in Belle-Anse, at the port where the sea has invaded the main road.

To be continued...

HL/ HaitiLibre