Emergency management specialists from Florida and twenty-four Latin American and Caribbean nations are considering the creation of a training and response center to help reduce the death and destruction caused by hurricanes and other natural disasters.
The Center, which may be located in Panama, would assist in warning people of impending disasters, rescuing victims, and helping survivors cope with the aftermath. Impetus for its creation was the devastating 1998 Hurricane Mitch, which caused mud slides that killed more than 9,000 persons in Central America.
Leading the talks are two groups:
- International Hurricane Center, a research group at Florida International University. The group recently hosted a meeting of disaster-relief experts (www.ihc.fiu.edu).
- The Center for Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance at the University of South Florida (www.cdmba.org).
The Center could be operational by the fall of 2001.
From Corporate Security
