DEFINITION A hurricane is a tropical cyclone (see below) in which the maximum average wind speed near a centre or eye exceeds 74 mph or 119 Km/h. The winds rotate in a counter-clockwise spiral around a region of low pressure. In the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific such systems are they are called HURRICANES. In the Western Pacific, including the Philippines – TYPHOONS, near Australia – WILLY WILLY... 

September 2, 2010 – At 11:00 am  Tropical Depression Gaston was located near 14.0/38.9W, or about 1500 miles east of the Lesser Antilles, moving northwest at 7 mph. Maximum sustained winds are holding at 35 mph and the minimum central pressure was recorded at 1008MB. Gaston is expected to track slowly to the west to west-northwest for the next few days. Following this, a faster motion to... 

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Several persons were evacuated from their homes on Monday as a rampaging Hurricane Earl dumped seven inches of rain on Antigua and Barbuda, flooding low lying communities. Disaster officials said that the Category Three storm felled trees and utility poles and triggered an island wide blackout. Officials from the State-owned Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) were... 

MIAMI, CMC – Hurricane Earl, the third named storm of the 2010 season, is moving across the northern Leeward Islands on Monday, with Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis and Anguilla issuing hurricane watches for its residents. In addition, the French islands of Saint Martin, Saint Barthelemy, St. Maarten, Saba, St. Eustatius as well as the British and US Virgin Islands have also... 

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Residents here rushed to purchase items and secure their property on Sunday as Tropical Storm Earl headed toward the northern Leeward Islands. Dozens of residents could be seen making last-minute purchases of candles, bottled water, tinned foods, garbage bags and other items, while scores lined up at gas stations to purchase fuel for their vehicles. The authorities announced... 

LIAT/TROPICAL STORM EARL ADVISORY # 1 ISSUED AT 5:30PM ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, August 28, 2010 – LIAT wishes to advise that it will be forced to suspend some services from Sunday afternoon due to the expected passage of Tropical Storm Earl over the Leeward Islands. The following flights are likely to be affected: ·         LI 508/509 – Antigua/St. Maarten/Tortola/St. Maarten/Antigua ·        ... 

Edmond Mulet, the Secretary General’s Special Representative and head of the UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). NEW YORK, New York, CMC – A senior United Nations official on Wednesday warned that Haiti faces a challenging year as it seeks to recover and rebuild from January’s tragic earthquake that devastated the country and killed an estimated 300,000 people. But Edmond Mulet,... 

Ban said this would enable it provide better support to recovery efforts in the wake of the January 12 devastating earthquake that struck the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country. UNITED NATIONS, CMC – United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has appealed to the Security Council to endorse a plan for the “rapid strengthening” of the UN Stabilisation Mission in Haiti, otherwise referred... 

The online portal is also supported by the UN Office of the Special Envoy for Haiti. *Photo credit: www.un.org.vn PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, CMC – The Haitian government and the United Nations have launched an online portal to promote the efficient use of the more than nine billion US dollars pledged by donors to help the country recover from the January 12 devastating earthquake that killed more... 

Major General Floriano Peixoto Vieira Neto (left), Force Commander of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), and U.S. Army Lieutenant General Kenneth Keen (right), speak to the press in Cité Soleil, Haiti, where their troops are jointly distributing food and water. *Photo credit: www.focal.ca WASHINGTON, CMC – The United States says in just over a month it will close down... 

Roby Apaulere Joseph from Haiti gave a passionate update on developments in his country. TORONTO, Canada (April 17, 2010) – More than CAD $350,000 was raised for the survivors of the Haiti earthquake from West Indian musicians, an Israeli entertainer, three Canadian companies and a Jewish philanthropy. And, if that’s not multinational enough – the fundraising drive was organized... 

The account, which will be administered by the IDB, will provide budgetary support upon request of the Haitian government. WASHINGTON, CMC – The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has announced plans to increase its financing for renewable energy and climate-related projects. IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno said that the financial institution plans to increase the funds to three billion... 

*Photo credit: www.jis.gov.jm PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, CMC – Former Jamaica prime minister PJ Patterson is headlining a Caribbean Community (CARICOM) mission to Haiti as part of follow-up activities to an international donors conference last month. Patterson, CARICOM’s Special Representative on Haiti, is joined by the head of the CARICOM Secretariat Haiti Support Unit, Ambassador Colin ... 

WASHINGTON, CMC – The United States House of Representatives has unanimously passed a bill calling for the cancellation of Haiti’s debt in the wake of the catastrophic January 12 earthquake. The measure orders US representatives to the Washington-based International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other lending agencies to take action to cancel the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country’s debt obligations. It... 

US First Lady, Michelle Obama. PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, CMC – United States First Lady, Michelle Obama, made an unannounced visit to Haiti on Tuesday to inspect the earthquake-battered country and reinforce the US government’s commitment to help with the recovery effort. A White House statement said Mrs. Obama was accompanied by Jill Biden, the wife of Vice President Joseph Biden. The... 

United Nations Deputy Secretary General Asha-Rose Migiro (L) and President René Préval (R). PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, CMC – President René Préval on Monday met with the United Nations Deputy Secretary General Asha-Rose Migiro to discuss challenges facing this Caribbean country in the aftermath of January’s devastating earthquake. Among the matters raised during the talks were education... 

OAS Assistant Secretary General Ambassador Albert Ramdin. PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, CMC – A delegation from the Organisation of American States (OAS) has ended a two-day visit to earthquake stricken Haiti after holding talks with President Rene Preval and senior government officials on the possibility of holding elections this year. OAS Assistant Secretary General Ambassador Albert Ramdin said... 

The United Nations’ Deputy Secretary General Asha-Rose Migiro. UNITED NATIONS, CMC – The United Nations’ Deputy Secretary General Asha-Rose Migiro arrives in Haiti on Sunday for a three-day visit to assess the shelter situation in wake of the January earthquake that caused widespread devastation to the capital, Port-au-Prince, and surrounding areas. Farhan Haq, a UN spokesman, told reporters... 

Premier Jean Charest. QUEBEC, Canada, CMC – Premier Jean Charest Friday said he had no intention of travelling to Haiti in the near future and accused the leader of Parti Quebecois (PQ), Pauline Marois, of using the Caribbean country as a “political playground”. Marois is due to visit the earthquake-ravaged country next week, but Charest told reporters that he had no intention of following... 

The forcast team at Colorado State University predicts up to eight hurricanes in the Atlantic this year. DENVER, Colorado, CMC – Caribbean countries can expect an above-average 2010 Atlantic hurricane with a 58 per cent chance of a major hurricane affecting the region, respected United States forecasters have said. The team from Colorado State University is predicting as many as eight hurricanes,... 

Assistant Secretary General of the Organisation of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin. *Photo credit: www.voanews.com WASHINGTON, CMC – Assistant Secretary General of the Organisation of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin, will lead a six-member mission to Haiti at the request of the Rene Préval government. The two-day visit which begins on Thursday, will allow the mission to engage... 

HAVANA, Cuba, CMC – The United States Coast Guard has repatriated 119 Haitian migrants who were found on a 65-foot sail freighter northeast of Matanzas, Cuba. The Coast Guard said it discovered the freighter while on routine patrol on Friday. “The crew of the two Coast Guard cutters arrived on the scene and distributed personal flotation devices before safely transferring the Haitians between... 

“A strong Caribbean Community needs a strong Haiti,” Patterson said in an address to the International Donors Conference Towards a New Future for Haiti at the United Nations Headquarters in New York this week. *Photo credit: www.jamaicans.com UNITED NATIONS, CMC – The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has a vital interest in the welfare and development of Haiti and sees its rebuilding as a... 

*Photo credit: www.mirror.co.uk UNITED NATIONS, CMC – Haiti seemingly received a new lease on life on Wednesday. That was when over 130 countries, big and small, pledged almost US$10 billion in immediate and long-term aid to help the impoverished, French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country recover from the devastating effects of January’s earthquake. The United Nations said,... 

“Today, the international community has come together, dramatically, in solidarity with Haiti and its people,” Ban said in a closing press conference at UN Headquarters in New York. *Photo credit: www.wedo.org UNITED NATIONS, CMC – Dozens of nations and organisations on Wednesday pledged almost US$10 billion in immediate and long-term aid to help Haiti recover from the January’s devastating... 

President Rene Preval. UNITED NATIONS, CMC – Haitian President Rene Preval on Wednesday reiterated the need for the international community to find ways to better respond to disasters across the world, as he thanked donors for the support given to his country in the aftermath of January’s devastating earthquake. Preval broached the subject at an international donors’ conference at the... 

UNITED NATIONS, CMC – Delegates from more than 130 nations are gathering at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Wednesday for a high-level meeting aimed at securing the financial resources necessary to help Haiti recover and rebuild after January’s devastating earthquake. Addressing the opening of the conference – “Towards a New Future in Haiti” – will be Haitian... 

CARICOM Special Representative PJ Patterson will address the international donors conference at the UN headquarters on Wednesday. GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – Former Jamaica prime minister PJ Patterson will be one of two senior regional officials representing the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) at the international donors conference on Haiti at the United Nations on Wednesday. Patterson will ... 

NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC – The deaths and damage caused by an apparent tornado strike on Monday has led to renewed calls for a meteorological office to be reopened on the island of Grand Bahama. Three people were killed when the storm hit the island late in the morning. Two of those who died were in a crane that toppled as a result of the swirling winds. There were several reports of minor... 

Edmond Mulet, the acting UN special envoy to Haiti. UNITED NATIONS, CMC – Top United Nations officials have said they will ask donors to pledge at least US$3.8 billion for reconstruction efforts in Haiti at a  major international donors conference on Wednesday. Edmond Mulet, the acting UN special envoy to Haiti, said the aid would be needed for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country’s... 

NEW YORK, CMC – The Petionville Golf Club sits upon a hillside overlooking Port-au Prince and the sea. These days, its once-groomed fairways are home to nearly 50,000 people, among the 1.2 million displaced by the earthquake and crowded together in tents or tarpaulin lean-tos provided by the UN or international relief agencies. When I visited last week, the sun was shining. Life went on,... 

NEW YORK, CMC – The European Union (EU) says it will pledge Euro 1.3 billion (US$1.73 billion) in aid to Haiti over the next three years to help in the reconstruction of the earthquake battered French-speaking Caribbean country. “We will be there for a long time,” EU aid commissioner Kristalina Georgieva told reporters after meeting with aid groups here. “We’re not looking at this... 

WASHINGTON, CMC – Global human rights watchdog, Amnesty International, has called for the protection from “widespread sexual violence” for thousands of women living in temporary camps in Haiti. In addition, Amnesty International has claimed that the current protection for women living under those arrangements is inadequate. “Sexual violence is widespread across the hundreds of spontaneous... 

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, CMC – Two former United States presidents are expected here on Monday as a show of solidarity to the people of this earthquake-stricken country and to help raise aid and investments for Haiti. George W Bush and his predecessor Bill Clinton, the United Nations special envoy to Haiti are making their first joint visit to this Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country since... 

HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC – An appeal by the Bermuda Red Cross following the massive earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people in Haiti two months ago has topped U$1 million. Director of the Bermuda Red Cross, Ann Spencer-Arscott, said that a total of US$1,025,938.52 has been contributed so far. She said the only time the organisation had seen a comparable response in the years she has...