BOGOTA (AlertNet) Â? Authorities in Central American nations hit by a deadly storm must ensure that damaged dykes and dams are reinforced to withstand what could be the worst hurricane season in 50 years, Red Cross officials said on Sunday.
Tropical storm Agatha, the first named storm of the 2010 Pacific hurricane season, began to weaken on Sunday after deluging parts of Central America, killing at least 113 people and forcing thousands to evacuate in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. All three countries have declared a state of emergency.
In Guatemala, the worst affected country, at least 92 people were killed in landslides and floods and around 112,000 people were evacuated, many to shelters where humanitarian aid, including hygiene and cooking kits and mosquito nets, has started to arrive, the government said.
Over 5,000 homes have been damaged, according to government figures, while several bridges have collapsed and some main roads remain blocked by debris.
"Now we have to pay special attention to the impact that Agatha has had on the risk reduction mechanisms in the communities, such as the dykes, retention walls and drains. We have to be sure that this first storm does not reduce the community's capacity to withstand the rest of the hurricane season,Â? said Felipe del Cid, disaster management delegate with the IFRC's Pan-American Disaster Response Unit (PADRU) in a statement.
This hurricane season is expected to a particularly brutal one, with up to 14 more tropical storms predicted in the next six months, experts say.
"This could be the worst hurricane season in the last 50 years," Paco Maldonado, coordinator for IFRC's Pan-American disaster response unit, told AlertNet by phone from Panama.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) says ensuring early warning systems and emergency contingency plans are in place will play a vital role in reducing the number of casualties in Central American nations lying along the hurricane belt.
"We are constantly monitoring a multi-threat, be it from flooding, volcanoes in the region (Central America). Along with making sure aid gets to those affected communities, the priority is to make sure the early warning systems in place are working and that our IFRC network of volunteers and communities are ready," he added.
The IFRC logistical unit for the Americas, based in Panama, is gearing up for the hurricane season and says it has enough supplies to meet the emergency needs of around 18,000 people in the region.
Since hurricane Mitch, which battered Central America in 1998 killing over 10,000 people, aid agencies have increasingly focused on raising awareness among local communities about what to do in the event of a natural disaster and preparing them to cope better.
Early warning systems and programmes run by the Guatemalan Red Cross, with the support of the IFRC, have included practising evacuation drills and planning evacuation routes, identifying and mapping those areas and communities most at risk of flooding, and training local community leaders in first aid.
"There is no doubt people are better prepared to deal with natural disasters," said IFRCÂ?s Maldonado. "People are now more willing to move from their homes to safety and follow the evacuation routes when a storm approaches. We hope that the damage caused by Agatha is not as bad as it could have been otherwise."
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