SitRep. United Nations System in Costa Rica. Situation Report 2 UN Disaster Management Team (UNDMT-Costa Rica) Tropical Storm ALMA 3 June 2008

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1 SitRep United Nations System in Costa Rica Situation Report 2 UN Disaster Management Team (UNDMT-Costa Rica) Tropical Storm ALMA 3 June :00 hours (local time) Note: This report is based primarily on information provided by the National Emergency Commission (CNE) to the United Nations Emergency Technical Team (UNETT). Other sources include interviews with national counterparts, the National Meteorological Institute and major newspapers in the country. A. Description of the adverse effect: North Pacific, Central Pacific and Central Valley regions of Costa Rica have suffered extensive flooding, blockages and mudslides, due to heavy rains from Wednesday 28 May to early morning of Friday 30 May. A cyclonic system originated in the Pacific Ocean, in between coasts of Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The system evolved to Tropical Storm Alma on Thursday 29 May. Wind speeds ranged on Km/h, while the phenomenon moved at an average speed of 10 Km/h. As the storm came to inner land in Nicaragua (Friday 30 May), rainfall levels lessened in the continent. Nevertheless, and as stated in bulletins from Costa Rica s National Meteorological Institute (IMN), Tropical Storm Alma combined with a tropical wave, to generate weather conditions that triggered emergency situations. Response activities are led by the National Emergency Commission (CNE) as National Emergency Management Authority. Permanent networking is done with other entities of the Risk Management National System (SNGR). An Executive Emergency Decree was stated on Monday night for 23 municipalities in the provinces of, Guanacaste and Puntarenas. The decree speeds up relief operations to affected localities and populations: such as hiring of public works, purchase of construction materials and distribution of food and non-food items. The country authorities are much concerned of this measure, at this very early stage of the rainy season. 1

2 B. Impact: After the effect of the tropical storm, North Pacific, Central Pacific and Central Valley Regions remain in alert, due to saturated soils, mud accumulation and rainfall of varied intensity (early weeks, rainy season in southern Mesoamerica). Duration: 68 hours (post tropical storm effects, combined with present rains, and activation of Emergency Proceedings by national authorities). Present phase: Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (DANA) carried out by CNE s Local Emergency Committees. Reports focus on most affected communities at Guanacaste and Puntarenas provinces, plus Perez Zeledón Municipality. Scientific monitoring by National Meteorological Institute. Damages-Losses verifications by Sector, underway. Humanitarian response in 30 shelters, distributed in the following : PROVINCE Perez Zeledón León Cortés Frailes Barranca Puntarenas Parrita Puntarenas Persons living in temporary camps: 1547 (updated: Tuesday 3 June, midday) Alert: RED: of Parrita, Aguirre and Pérez Zeledón (to be revised to a lower level, in next hours) Damages: Motorways / Roads: 157 road spots with blockages Acosta, Alfaro Ruiz, Atenas, Cañas, Corredores, Dota, El Guarco, Grécia, Heredia, Hojancha, Unión, Leon Cortés, Montes de Oro, Nandayure, Naranjo, Nicoya, Parrita, Pérez Zeledón, Puntarenas, Puriscal, Santa Ana, Santa Cruz, Tarrazú, Valverde Vega Bridges: 117 destroyed / affected: Pérez Zeledón, Dota, Aguirre, Parrita, Cañas, Puntarenas, Cubano, Nandayure 2

3 Sewage installations: 91 affected, countrywide Drinking water pipelines (aqueducts): 35 community aqueducts destroyed / affected, countrywide Naranjo, Pérez Zeledón, León Cortés, Hojancha, Cañas, San Pablo Housing: Official records of 1207 houses with major damage. Expected that this amount may rise to 2000 in next hours. Education: 9 schools with some degree of damage: Aguirre, Cañas, León Cortés, Mora Energy: 26 communities in provinces of Guanacaste and Puntarenas, problems in Electricity and Telecommunications Services. Cañas, Hojancha, Corredores, Montes Oro, Nandayure, Puntarenas Sectoral Assessments (damage estimations underway, co-ordinated by CNE) Agriculture / Livestock (Ministry of Agriculture) Health (Ministry of Health Social Security Institution) Water-Sanitation-Hygiene (Institute of Aqueducts and Sewage ESPH ASADAs) Motorways/Roads/Bridges/Railways (Ministry of Public Works and Transport) Early figures rise national damages to 38 million $US. preliminary, according to authorities (Source: CNE) These figures are C. Response actions implemented by the community, organizations and national authorities: 1. The CNE is coordinating the Emergency Operations Centre (COE), composed of: Fire fighters, Red Cross, Ministry of Public Security, 911 System, Ministry of Health, Social Security System (CCSS), Social Assistance Institute (IMAS), Ministry of Public Works, Aqueducts and Sewage (AyA), Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Agriculture. This Committee was activated immediately after the onset. 3

4 2. Activation of all Regional and Local Emergency Committees in the affected areas. 3. Coordination mechanism with first response institutions (Fire fighters, Red Cross), for the immediate relief of affected populations in: Parrita, Pérez Zeledón, León Cortés, Frailes and Barranca. 4. Aerial transport operations to isolated villages. Only 2 helicopters available for operations. Rates to be paid by the CNE: $1750,00 per hour of helicopter use. 5. A national network established by the CNE with major private firms (Florida Ice and Farm, Walmart Corporation) for distribution of food and water to isolated villages: drinking water, cereals, daily provisions. D. United Nations actions: a. UNETT (FAO, UN-HABITAT, UNHCR, ILO, IOM, UNESCO, PAHO/WHO, WMO, UNDP and UNICEF) have been in continuous communication. Sharing and analysis of situation since Wednesday 28 May. Consolidation of Situation Reports from CNE, National Meteorological Institute and counterparts. b. Daily communication with National Authorities (CNE). c. UNETT meeting to be held on Wednesday 4 June. d. PAHO/WHO: Daily information exchange with Ministry of Health, Social Security Institution (CCSS), Institute of Aqueducts and Sewage (AyA) and the Red Cross. a) Support to the Ministry to set up a Situation Centre with updated info (follow-up on Health Services, Epidemiology, damage on the drinking water system). b) Support to both the Ministry of Health and the Red Cross on mission for Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis ( in North and Central Pacific). e. UN agencies have already mobilised to support the response. UNDP, UNICEF, UNESCO. E. Assistance UNDMT and UNETT are activated, and monitor the situation very closely. There are permanent communication channels with the CNE and other public sector institutions. No specific requests of financial or material assistance to the UN System Resident Co-ordinator / Humanitarian Co-ordinator so far. 4

5 F. National Contacts (If required) Comisión Nacional de Prevención del Riesgo y Atención de Emergencias (CNE) Lic. Marco Vinicio Saborío, Jefe Asuntos Internacionales Tel: (506) Mob: (506) msaborio@cne.go.cr Lic. Sigifredo Pérez, Jefe Operaciones Tel: (506) Cel: (506) G. UN Contacts (If required) Sr. Jose Manuel Hermida Resident Coordinator / Resident Representative Tel: (506) Ext.: 113 Fax: (506) Jose.manuel.hermida@undp.org Lic. Adriana Vanessa Retana Programme Officer UNDP/ OCHA Focal Point Tel: (506) ext: 175 Fax: (506) Adriana.retana@undp.org Lic. Andrés Calvo Barrantes National Programme Officer PAHO/WHO UNETT Coordinador Tel: (506) / , ext 341 Fax: (506) calvoand@cor.ops-oms.org 5