EMERGENCY ACTION COMMITTEE (EAC) MEETING,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRIDGETOWN 001025 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CAR SAN JOSE FOR USAID/OFDA-CALLAHAN AND LEONARD USAID FOR DCHA/OFDA-THAYER AND LAC/AA GENEVA FOR N.KYLOH, USUN FOR T.MALY, SECDEF FOR SOLIC, JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC FOR J3/J4/J5, USSOUTHCOM FOR J3/J4/J5, NSC FOR P.MARCHAMLAGHAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC BB CASC XL SUBJECT: EMERGENCY ACTION COMMITTEE (EAC) MEETING, BRIDGETOWN ¶1. (SBU) In response to the latest tracking of Tropical Storm Dean, Ambassador Ourisman chaired an Emergency Action Committee (EAC) meeting on Wednesday, August 15, 2007, attended by A/DCM, P/E, RSO, DET CDR, LEGATT, DEA, IRS, CON, ORA, IPO, MLO, USAID, OFDALAC, PAS, and GSO. Also in attendance via conference call were Principal Officer for Embassy Grenada, Peace Corps Country Director for the Eastern Caribbean, and Senior Regional Advisor for USAID/OFDALAC. A/DCM reviewed current mission posture in the event the storm picks up intensity and causes significant damage to Barbados or any other other of the Eastern Caribbean islands, which currently lie in Dean's trajectory. (Note: The Ambassador will be on official travel to Antigua and Barbuda from August 15-16, then fly to Miami on August 17, before heading to Washington, D.C. End Note.) ¶2. (U) USAID/OFDALAC Senior Regional Advisor, Tim Callaghan, informed the EAC that Tropical Storm Dean is currently headed slightly north of Barbados at a high speed of 20 mph, with maximum sustained winds of up to 60 mph. While experience with Hurrican Ivan in 2004 suggests that the storm can radically change direction within hours, it is likely that by Friday, the center of Tropical Storm Dean will have intensified and its center will have reached approximately 70-80 miles north of Barbados. Should Dean become a hurricane, it is expected that housing and infrastructural damage will result, the extent of which cannot be predicted at this time. ¶3. (U) Callaghan assured Post that staff is well-positioned for disaster response, with USAID consulants currently in place in St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, and Barbados, and additional OFDALAC communications and technical staff arriving in Barbados later in the day. According to OFDALAC's local Barbados consultant, airports will shut down their runways once runway crosswinds reach 35 mph, while the Barbados Department of Emergency Management, (formerly Central Emergency Relief Organization),is currently issuing tropical storm warnings and can activate its response plan within 24 hours. A purchase order with GAL Airlines is already in place, which will allow USAID and Eastern Caribbean Donor Group (ECDG) Members to travel to any affected area in the region to conduct a disaster assessment as per Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) protocol. ¶3. (SBU) RSO informed the EAC that Post is preparing its Emergency Operations Center. Plans have already been completed with Barbados law enforcement authorities to assist with the Embassy's external security, both before and after the storm. The Marine Security Guard will be reviewing its disaster preparation plan and conduct an embassy walk-through, and a mandatory radio check for all American staff and dependents is planned for Thursday, August 16. In addition, Post has updated its Cascade System (phone tree) and conducted an Embassy staff role call. Embassy staff evacuations will not be implemented in advance of a hurricane. (Note: Embassy Bridgetown's NEC is able to withstand up to a category-5 hurricane. End Note.) Essential and non-essential personnel will be determined once the storm's threat becomes clearer on Thursday afternoon, August 16; if appropriate, non-emergency Embassy staff will be instructed to remain at home on Friday. A disaster warning for all Consular Wardens in Embassy Bridgetown's consular district had been cleared by the Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs and sent out later in the day. BRIDGETOWN 00001025 002 OF 002 ¶4. (SBU) In St. Lucia, Peace Corps Country Director for the Eastern Caribbean plans to delay the deployment of new volunteers to their assignments on other islands until the storm has passed. Embassy Grenada's Principle Officer will convene an Embassy staff meeting and checking with local disaster coordinator authorities to review disaster response plans. ¶5. (SBU) USAID/OFDALAC and Embassy Mission Disaster Relief Officer (MDRO) will coordinate and cable Situation Reports (SITREPS) and/or other reports as new developments warrant. Post's Points of Contact for mission disaster relief coordination are: James Goggin (USAID Director) Mission Disaster Relief Officer PH: 246-227-4395 EM: jgoggin@usaid.gov Anthony Eterno (Acting Pol/Econ Counselor) Alternate Mission Disaster Relief Officer PH 246-227-4273 EM: eternoar@state.gov or eternoar@state.sgov.gov. Sidney Velado USAID/OFDALAC Representative in Barbados PH: 246-227-4280 EM: svelado@ofda.gov. HOWARD