EAC AMCONSULATE TIJUANA - HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS PLANNING

UNCLAS TIJUANA 000908 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR DS, CA, DS/IP/WHA, WHA/PDA, WHA/MEX, CA/OCS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC AEMR CASC AMGT MX PINS SUBJECT: EAC AMCONSULATE TIJUANA - HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS PLANNING ¶1. (SBU) On August 31, 2009, Post's Emergency Action Committee (EAC) met to discuss potential impact on Baja California, Mexico, of Hurricane Jimena and to discuss post's response to potential storm damage. EAC participants included CG, CON, CON/ASC, MGT, DEA, DHS-ICE, RSO, and PAO. ¶2. (U) The CG opened the meeting by briefing the EAC on the conference call he received earlier from the U.S. Embassy Mexico City. Consular Section Chief briefed the EAC on U.S. Citizen resident presence in Baja California Sur and staff and resource availability of the U.S. Consular Agency in Cabo San Lucas. Cabo San Lucas has more concentrated U.S. Citizen full-time residents than other areas of Baja California Sur. However, tourism and temporary U.S. Citizen presence is estimated as low, with tourist hotels low in occupancy. ¶3. (U) A general discussion was held regarding the current location of the hurricane and the projected path, strength, and potential damage by wind, rain, or flooding to infrastructure such as airports and roads. The hurricane is heading up the Pacific coast of Mexico, from the state of Jalisco toward the state of Baja California, maintaining its strong intensity of 135 knots. National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecasts Hurricane Jimena will continue its north-northwest motion. Baja California may experience adverse conditions on Tuesday, September 1, with landfall Tuesday during the day or night in southern Baja above Cabo San Lucas, in a less populated area along the Pacific side of Baja. After landfall it may travel across land toward La Paz on the Sea of Cortez side of Baja, which has low lying areas and roads prone to wash out, flash flooding, mud slides. ¶3. (U) The EAC consensus was that neither the consular agency employees nor the general populace were panicky, but were cautious. After discussing post emergency plans and past hurricane response, the EAC decided to take the following actions: - The Consular Agency in Cabo San Lucas will remain open for emergency services. - Supplementing consular staffing in Cabo with an additional American Citizen Services FSO and LES, along with hurricane supply kit and communication equipment was recommended. Post arranged to implement these plans immediately, with FSO and LES travelling this same day. - Sending a TDY team with hurricane supply kit to La Paz was recommended by the EAC, as travel to that region may be difficult post-hurricane. An LES staff member from Consular Agency Cabo San Lucas was directed to travel overland to this location, to be joined by an FSO from U.S. Consulate General Tijuana/ACS today. - If warranted, another TDY team will stand by for travel overland from Post to Santa Rosalia, consisting of one FSO and two LES, for post-hurricane response. - Post will monitor for any indication that the airports at Cabo San Lucas or La Paz may be closed. The seaports along the Sea of Cortez were scheduled to close at mid-day. - Post will not approve non-essential TDY travel. Travel related to the hurricane will be considered essential and will receive clearance. - Post will distribute State issued travel warnings and warden messages to keep local Americans informed. ¶4. (U) Post will continue to monitor the situation and convene the EAC as necessary. ¶5. (U) Tijuana's EAC will continue to monitor the situation in Baja California. All members will remain in close contact with their local U.S. and Mexican contacts regarding any new developments. For comments or questions, please contact RSO at 011-52-664-622-7464, or -7451. KASHKETT