In the wake of Dean, a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds at about 150 miles per hour, Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) has contacted partners in Jamaica, Belize, Haiti and the Dominican Republic and other parts of the region. The major storm has caused flooding, mudslides, heavy rain, high winds and severe damage, killing at least nine people.

The center of Dean swept south of Jamaica on August 19, cutting power lines, ripping off roofs and flooding streets, according to reports.

The National Hurricane Center has forecast that Dean could become a Category 5 hurricane as it moves toward the Cayman Islands and approaches Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula later on August 20.

ERD will assist people impacted by Hurricane Dean as church partners identify and assess needs locally.

As of 5 p.m. EDT on August 20, a hurricane warning remained in effect for the entire coastline of Belize and along the East coast of the Yucatan Peninsula from the Belize/Mexico border northward to Cancun, and the West coast of the Yucatan Peninsula from south of Progresso southward to Ciudad del Carmen. A hurricane warning also remained in effect for the Cayman Islands.

To help people affected by Hurricane Dean, make a donation to ERD's 'Emergency Relief Fund' online at http://www.er-d.org/

Item from: Episcopal News Service