Silver Spring, Maryland--With Hurricane Felix bearing down on Central America, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is prepared to respond. ADRA offices in Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, and Mexico are positioned and ready to provide immediate emergency and recovery relief to storm-affected communities.

Following on the heels of Hurricane Dean, Hurricane Felix is the second category five hurricane to hit the region in two weeks. Making landfall near Punta Gorda in northeastern Nicaragua this morning, Felix's 160 mile-per-hour winds also pounded coastal Honduras. The small but powerful storm is expected to cause severe damage to homes and other structures directly in its path. Life-threatening flash flooding and landslides are also possible as Felix unleashes high winds and heavy rains across the mountainous regions of Central America.

ADRA offices throughout Central America and Mexico held preparedness meetings over the weekend with local staff and partners, and are ready to meet the immediate needs of storm survivors.

ADRA Nicaragua is coordinating with the Nicaraguan government and is preparing an initial emergency response in the area of Puerto Cabezas, which felt the full impact of Felix's initial landfall. "The Caribbean coast of Nicaragua is very isolated and undeveloped, and communication is difficult even under the best of circumstances," says Plinio Vergara, country director for ADRA Nicaragua. "We have staff and volunteers in place and will begin providing food, water, and other emergency relief to storm survivors as soon as conditions permit."

As Hurricane Felix winds its way westward, ADRA teams in all storm-affected countries will assess the damage left by the storm and assist those affected by the disaster.

In addition to preparing for Felix, ADRA Mexico is continuing to respond to the impact of Hurricane Dean in Campeche, Quintana Roo, and Veracruz. ADRA Mexico is also ready to respond to Henriette, currently pelting Baja California and Mexico's Pacific coast with category one winds and rain. The storm has reportedly already claimed several lives.

Updates will be released as more information is available.

To donate to ADRA's responses to help hurricane survivors, please contact ADRA at 1.800.424.ADRA (2372) or donate online to ADRA's Emergency Response fund at www.adra.org.

ADRA is present in 125 countries, providing community development and emergency management without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, or ethnicity.

Additional information about ADRA can be found at www.adra.org.

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Media Contact: Kara Watkins ADRA International 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 Phone: 301.680.6357 E-mail: Media.Inquiries@adra.org