Silver Spring, Maryland—In response to heavy rainfall caused by the season's intense hurricanes and tropical storms, including Tropical Storm Noel, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is working to mitigate the effects of the disasters that have flooded the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico, and elsewhere.

In late October, Tropical Storm Noel brought three days of nonstop rain to the island of Hispaniola, shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti, causing devastating floods that left more than 100 people dead across the island.

In the Dominican Republic, chest-high floodwaters destroyed thousands of homes, and displaced more than 50,000 people. More than 40 communities are still isolated by the floods, with 12 bridges and highways still compromised by the floods.

In cooperation with local partners, ADRA is providing food baskets for 210 families in the Dominican Republic whose homes were swept away by the floods, or were rescued from the roofs of their homes. Each basket will contain enough food for five family members for five days.

This intervention is financed through the cooperation of ADRA International, the ADRA Inter-America regional office based out of Miami, Florida, and the ADRA Dominicana office, located in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

In Haiti, over 11,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes in fear of the powerful floodwaters and mudslides that overwhelmed the nation.

ADRA is currently responding in Haiti to the needs of survivors of both Hurricane Dean and Tropical Storm Noel, distributing food baskets, cutlery, and other necessities for 200 affected families in Cabaret, one of the poorest towns in the country. The emergency food baskets will provide rice, beans, sugar, oil, clean water, and cutlery for families who lost everything during the storm. The baskets will provide enough food for a family of six for 15 days.

This project is co-sponsored by ADRA International, the ADRA Inter-America regional office, the Adventist Central Mission office, and ADRA Haiti.

Heavy rains, particularly from Noel, have caused catastrophic flooding throughout southern Mexico, affecting more than a million in the states of Tabasco, Chiapas, San Luis Potosi, and northern Veracruz.

In the southeastern state of Tabasco, authorities state that nearly one million people are currently affected by flooding that has submerged nearly 80 percent of the state. Although the government of Mexico has not yet officially requested assistance from the international community, ADRA Mexico and its local partners are present on the ground and responding. ADRA Mexico is operating 15 soup kitchens, providing meals for survivors who have lost their homes, crops, and belongings in flooding that some say is the worst in 50 years.

In the mountainous areas of Chiapas in southern Mexico, ADRA is providing hot meals and food baskets for 2,000 survivors, in an area that has also seen overwhelming levels of rain, affecting more than 100,000.

ADRA is also providing food aid for nearly 2,200 families devastated by previous natural disasters throughout the nation.

To donate to ADRA's emergency response effort to aid survivors of the flooding plaguing the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Mexico, please contact ADRA at 1.800.424.ADRA (2372) or donate online to ADRA's Emergency Response fund at www.adra.org.

Updates will be released as ADRA's response efforts expand.

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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Author: Nadia McGill

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