South East Shipping News

International Trade Swells at Florida’s Seaports; Trading at a Deficit with China

By: Jim Turner | Posted: May 30, 2012 3:55 AM

Jaxport, Port of Miami tunnel construction project and Port of Panama CityHide

Florida’s effort to increase international trade spawned an 18.3 percent growth in the value of traffic through its seaports last year, according to the Florida Ports Council.

The overall goods traveling through Florida’s ports in 2011 totaled $149 billion, of which more than half -- $82.7 billion -- were exports. The majority of the trade was going to or coming from South America (37.4 percent), Asia and the Middle East (18.8 percent), Europe (15.7 percent), Central America (12.7 percent) and the Caribbean (9.5 percent), the council reported in its annual five-year outlook released on Friday.

"We're just thrilled we're talking growth in the industry, considering the global economic downturn," said Doug Wheeler, Ports Council president.

But he later added, "There are still a lot of empty containers leaving Florida ports. We can still do a lot better at getting these containers filled up leaving Florida's ports than we're doing now."

Getting more Florida exports would require expanding Florida's manufacturing base, as well as completing a number of prioritized projects -- such as the Port Miami tunnel -- to shorten the time cargo can move from shipping lanes to railroad tracks and interstate highways.

See port by port import-exports totals here.

Still, the overall totals were the most since 2008, which continue to outpace the trade shipped via air -- $63.8 billion in value in 2011.

The hook for bulking up the state's ports in advance of the anticipated growth in trade has been the Panama Canal expansion, to be completed in 2015. However, a big reason for the recent growth has been the rise in free-trade agreements with Central and South American countries, some of which have been natural maritime trading partners with Florida. 

See Florida's top trading partners here.

The report notes that since the U.S. signed such a pact with Chili in 2004, Florida’s annual trade with the South American country has grown from $1.8 billion to $6.9 billion.

Similarly, trade with Peru has grown from $1 billion in 2007, when a free-trade agreement was signed, to $3.2 billion last year.

However, while the state continues to pump more goods to its trading partners to the south, the state still trades at a deficit with Asian nations, part of the reason Enterprise Florida is working on plans for a business development mission to Japan, Korea or other Asian nations in 2013.

For every $8 worth of imports from China, the state returns $1 in goods sold to the Asian nation.

The West Coast of the United States has been the beneficiary of trade with China, but that is something that could change with the canal expansion.

"The Panama Canal is at least changing the dynamics of that conversation," Wheeler said. 

"We by no means have touted the Panama Canal as the Meccas of all trade routes and this will be the end-all for Florida ports," Wheeler added. "But certainly there will be new opportunities as shippers and freighters go 'Huh, there is a cost savings in going through the canal, coming out on the East Coast and throwing the cargo onto a truck or a train for a shorter haul to the heart of the country.'"

The report does highlight efforts by the council to combat competition from ports in Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia as more foreign markets open and expand.

“Opportunities missed will be opportunities lost to Florida’s competitors,” the report states

 

 

 

 

 

 

See nation's top ports list here.

To meet the expected increase in trade, the 15 individual seaports in Florida -- both cruise and cargo -- have projected $2.7 billion in capital improvement needs over the next five years.  

Channel and harbor deepening, along with new and rehabbed cargo terminals, are among the primary needs. The majority of the work is projected at Port Miami, Port Everglades and JaxPort.

See priority projects here.

The Florida Ports Council forecasts the projects would create 12,000 construction jobs and 13,000 full-time jobs.

To help fund a few of the projects, legislators in the 2012 regular session increased the nondesignated port funding from $117 million in the current year to $135 million for the next fiscal year, and created a $35 million port investment initiative.

See the Sunshine State News series "The Ports of Florida" here.



Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.

Attachments: 

Port by Port Import-Exports

Florida's Top Trading Partners

Nation's Top Ports

Priority Projects

 

Haiti faces 30-year recovery: U.S. official

Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press

Sunday, May 27, 2012 - 20:15

People walk inside the Jean Marie Vincent camp for people displaced by the devastating 2010 earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on May 10, 2012. It will take Haiti the better part three decades to become a middle income country on par with its Caribbean island neighbour, the Dominican Republic, says the top U.S. official on the file. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP - Dieu Nalio Chery

OTTAWA - It will take Haiti the better part of three decades to become a middle income country on par with its Caribbean island neighbour, the Dominican Republic, says the top U.S. official on the file.

But Thomas Adams, the State Department's special co-ordinator for Haiti, told The Canadian Press that "realistic" estimate should not be seen as daunting to countries like Canada that are heavily invested in helping the Western Hemisphere's poorest country, still struggling after its devastating 2010 earthquake.

Nor should it deter investors, who are crucial to Haiti's long-term recovery, Adams added, as long as the country builds credible democratic institutions.

"There is no reason why Haiti can't become a middle income country. But because they're starting so low, it's going be to be 25-30 years even if they have good economic growth," Adams said in an exclusive interview, after two days of meetings in Ottawa with various government officials.

"It's not a quick fix. These problems in Haiti - their educational system, their health system, cholera, the infrastructure - these aren't quick fixes," he added.

"It's good to be realistic. That's not to say we're not making progress each year … But overall, you're not going to see a Haiti the way you'd like it for a while."

Forty years ago, Haiti was slightly ahead of the Dominican Republic economically, said Adams, with 20 large American corporations setting up their Caribbean headquarters there. The two countries share the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.

Adams sees economic growth for Haiti in textiles, agriculture and tourism.

"Haiti needs private investment. All the donor money, as generous as it is - and I think Canada and a lot of countries have been very generous - isn't enough to fix Haiti."

The U.S. and Canada, said Adams, remain in lock-step when it comes to helping Haiti recover from the devastating January 2010 earthquake that left 300,000 dead and displaced 1.5 million. Canada has pledged more than $1 billion to Haiti, making it the second largest aid recipient after Afghanistan.

That co-operation extends to co-ordinated messaging of Haiti's political leaders, to break the political paralysis of the last year - a crisis that has raised serious questions about the country's ability to stave off corruption and govern itself effectively.

That crisis appeared to ease earlier this month when President Michel Martelly swore in a new prime minister, Laurent Lamothe, whose predecessor resigned in February after barely four months on the job.

The turmoil rendered Haiti's government rudderless and left billions of dollars of donor pledges in limbo.

"That's pretty much over," said Adams. "There's a truce between the president and the parliament. It seems they're willing to work together. The president has confidence in the new prime minister."

With Lamothe confirmed, parliamentary amendments will pave the way for elections of senators and local officials, as well as paving the way for reforms of the court system, said Adams.

Throughout it all, the Canadian and U.S. governments have continued to "give co-ordinated messages on some sensitive topics."

The underlying message can be boiled down to this: reign in the corruption and work together politically.

"That's one of our constant messages," Adams explained.

"We don't say, if you're not going to do X, Y, and Z we're going to cut off all of your aid. But we do say, and Canada says, and everybody else says, over time businessmen and donors are going to go elsewhere if you're not seen as making your best efforts to curb corruption to bring in the rule of the law and be democratic.

"I think they're hearing that."

Diane Ablonczy, Canada's junior foreign affairs for the Americas, said Haitians are "crying out for leadership" so Canada is urging its leaders to step up and provide it.

"We are really urging the new government as its formed to emphasize and really roll up its sleeves and emphasize the need to deliver results for strong institutions in Haiti."

Adams also lauded Canada's former governor general, Haitian-born Michaelle Jean, as a key player in that co-ordinated communication effort with Haiti's leadership.

Jean, now the UNESCO Special Envoy for Haiti, travels to Haiti again this week, for meetings will political leaders. She'll also take part in events to highlight programs that help curb malnutrition and poverty.

Earlier this month, Jean laid bare her frustration with the pace of change in her native country during a recent speech in Ottawa to government officials and non-governmental organizations.

"The aid and handout system has become kind of a business model, a scheme used by some to wheel and deal as it generates opportunities for embezzlement and corruption," Jean said the text posted on her website.

"It can't go on like this."

Adams said that's the message the U.S., Canada and other allies continue to deliver to Haiti.

"We're on the same message too. Again, cut the chaos," he said. "That's all we're saying there: come on guys, let's keep our eye on the ball here."

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In three years 700 Dominican Republic cops accused in drug cases including head of port security

By EZEQUIEL ABIU LOPEZ

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic

Three high-ranking police officials in the Dominican Republic have been accused of providing security to drug traffickers, marking the latest public corruption case to hit the Caribbean nation as it tries to clean up its military and police.

The officials worked for the National Drug Control Agency and were arrested alongside four men allegedly waiting for a drug shipment bound for Puerto Rico, agency chief Rolando Rosado said Thursday.

The officials have been suspended from their jobs as have others who have been charged in drug-fueled corruption cases that have resulted in dozens of arrests and dismissals in recent years.

"It's a serious situation," said Tulio Castanos, vice president of the Institutional Justice Foundation, a non-governmental group that is helping the government design and implement police department reforms. "The people have lost faith in the police."

The Dominican Republic has a national police force of 32,000 officers and a military with 65,000 members, for a country of about 9 million people.

Since 2009, more than 700 agents with the National Drug Control Agency, a combination of police officers and military personnel on loan, have been removed for a variety of crimes, according to government statistics. Of those, 200 were suspected of involvement in drug trafficking.

Meanwhile, the national police force has expelled about 1,400 officers since 2010 for a variety of alleged crimes, including ties to drug trafficking, spokesman Maximo Baez said.

Members of the police and all branches of the military have become ensnared in drug investigations, including a recent one involving a navy officer in charge of port security accused of attempting to smuggle more than 800 kilograms (1,760 pounds) of cocaine to Spain on board a cargo vessel.

In another case, nearly 20 officials, the majority with the navy, were accused in 2008 of killing seven Colombian drug traffickers to steal 1.3 tons (1.18 metric tons) of cocaine. Five of those officials were sentenced to 30 years in prison, while three others received 20-year sentences.

So far this year, authorities have confiscated more than 4 tons (3.6 metric tons) of cocaine. They seized nearly 7 tons (6 metric tons) during all of 2011.

"The biggest concern is that in almost every seizure, officials were implicated," according to a report by Citizen Involvement, a non-governmental organization that tracks corruption allegations in the Dominican Republic.

The government is now requiring members of the police and armed forces to pass polygraph and background tests. In addition, internal affairs units are regularly investigating corruption allegations and handing out punishments, which has been increasing along with the country's role as a stepping stone for cocaine and other drugs bound for the U.S. and Europe.

The government's attempt to address the situation comes amid growing concerns among Dominicans about the way drug trafficking has seemed to take a central role in the country.

But there is also pressure from the U.S., which was critical of Dominican anti-drug efforts in its annual 2012 trafficking report.

In a 2009 diplomatic cable obtained by WikiLeaks and other organizations, the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic noted the country had an "embarrassing" drug seizure rate and cited a lack of resources for law enforcement and infiltration of the armed forces by criminal organizations.

Former President Leonel Fernandez and others also have cited low salaries, typically around $155 a month for police officers, as a long-standing problem that may be a factor in some corruption cases.

Complaints that police and military officials demand payment from drug traffickers to operate in certain neighborhoods are common, said Manuel Maria Mercedes, president of the National Commission of Human Rights.

Payments can range from $125 a week in poor communities to more than $1,000 a week for drug-distribution points in popular tourist regions, and shootouts ensue if they fail to pay, he said.

"Hundreds of citizens have lost their lives this way," he said.

 

As of 1200 hrs May 25, 2012

 

AN ELONGATED AREA OF LOW PRESSURE EXTENDING FROM THE NORTHWESTERN
CARIBBEAN SEA ACROSS WESTERN CUBA AND INTO THE FLORIDA STRAITS IS
ASSOCIATED WITH A LARGE AREA OF DISORGANIZED SHOWER AND
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. CURRENTLY THE SYSTEM LACKS A WELL-DEFINED
CIRCULATION CENTER...AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ARE NOT EXPECTED
TO BE CONDUCIVE FOR SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYSTEM DURING
THE NEXT DAY OR SO. THIS SYSTEM HAS A LOW CHANCE...20 PERCENT...OF
BECOMING A TROPICAL OR SUBTROPICAL CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS
AS IT MOVES NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE BAHAMAS AND INTO THE
SOUTHWESTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN.

ALTHOUGH CONDITIONS ARE NOT CURRENTLY FAVORABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT...
THEY ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME MORE CONDUCIVE FOR THE FORMATION OF A
SUBTROPICAL OR TROPICAL CYCLONE BY LATE SATURDAY OR SUNDAY.
REGARDLESS OF ANY DEVELOPMENT...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLOODING
ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE CAYMAN ISLANDS...PORTIONS OF CUBA...SOUTHERN
FLORIDA...AND THE BAHAMAS. ANOTHER SPECIAL TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK
FOR THIS SYSTEM WILL BE ISSUED ON FRIDAY. FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION ON THIS SYSTEM...PLEASE SEE HIGH SEAS FORECASTS ISSUED
BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE...AND PRODUCTS FROM YOUR LOCAL
WEATHER OFFICE. 

 

 

 

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
805 AM EDT THU MAY 24 2012

 

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR NORTH AMERICA...CENTRAL
AMERICA...GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA...NORTHERN SECTIONS OF
SOUTH AMERICA...AND ATLANTIC OCEAN TO THE AFRICAN COAST FROM THE
EQUATOR TO 32N. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS BASED ON SATELLITE
IMAGERY...WEATHER OBSERVATIONS...RADAR...AND METEOROLOGICAL
ANALYSIS.

BASED ON 0600 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1115 UTC...

...TROPICAL WAVES...

AN ATLANTIC OCEAN TROPICAL WAVE IS ALONG 10N34W 6N36W 1N37W.
ANY NEARBY PRECIPITATION IS ALSO IS PART OF THE ITCZ
PRECIPITATION.

AN ATLANTIC OCEAN TROPICAL WAVE IS ALONG 14N56W 10N57W...TO THE
NORTHEASTERN COAST OF GUYANA THAT IS NEAR 7N57W. SCATTERED
MODERATE TO ISOLATED STRONG CONVECTIVE PRECIPITATION COVERS THE
ATLANTIC OCEAN AND THE SOUTHEASTERN CARIBBEAN SEA FROM 8N TO 14N
BETWEEN 54W AND 66W. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH THAT RUNS FROM 21N35W
IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN TO 13N50W...TO 12N64W IN THE SOUTHEASTERN
CORNER OF THE CARIBBEAN SEA...IS INTERACTING WITH THE WAVE.

...THE ITCZ/THE MONSOON TROUGH...

THE MONSOON TROUGH EMERGES OFF THE SIERRA LEONE COAST NEAR 8N13W
TO 4N20W. THE ITCZ CONTINUES FROM 4N20W TO 3N25W 4N28W 1N35W
1N40W. SCATTERED MODERATE TO ISOLATED STRONG CONVECTIVE
PRECIPITATION TO THE SOUTH OF 10N TO THE EAST OF 30W.
ISOLATED MODERATE CONVECTIVE PRECIPITATION IS ELSEWHERE TO THE
SOUTH OF 6N BETWEEN 30W AND 54W. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH IS
INTERACTING WITH THE 14N56W 7N57W TROPICAL WAVE.

...DISCUSSION...

THE GULF OF MEXICO...
AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH PASSES THROUGH MISSISSIPPI AND
LOUISIANA...INTO THE NORTHWESTERN CORNER OF THE GULF OF
MEXICO...TO THE MEXICO GULF COAST NEAR 20N. COMPARATIVELY DRIER
AIR APPEARS IN THE WATER VAPOR IMAGERY ACROSS THE ENTIRE
AREA...EVEN PUSHING ITS WAY INTO THE NORTHWESTERN CORNER OF THE
CARIBBEAN SEA. THE SOUTHEASTERN CORNER OF THE AREA IS AFFECTED
BY A SURFACE TROUGH THAT RUNS FROM THE NORTHWESTERN CORNER OF
THE CARIBBEAN SEA TOWARD THE SOUTHERN FLORIDA KEYS. THE
COMPARATIVELY DEEPER LAYER MOISTURE AND PRECIPITATION FOR THE
SOUTHEASTERN CORNER OF THE AREA...INCLUDING SOUTH FLORIDA...
FOR THE LAST FEW DAYS...HAVE BEEN PUSHED EASTWARD BY THE DRIER
AIR. THE DRIER AIR NOW IS TO THE EAST OF 32N77W 25N80W 20N83W
16N86W ALONG THE HONDURAS COAST. SURFACE ANTICYCLONIC WIND FLOW
COVERS THE REST OF THE GULF OF MEXICO...MOVING AROUND A 1013 MB
HIGH PRESSURE CENTER THAT IS NEAR 27N87W. PLEASE READ THE HIGH
SEAS FORECAST...MIAHSFAT2...AND THE OFFSHORE FORECAST...
MIAOFFNT4...FOR SPECIFIC DETAILS ABOUT THE MARINE WEATHER
FOR 20 KNOT WINDS TO THE WEST OF 95W.

THE CARIBBEAN SEA...
AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE RUNS FROM EASTERN HONDURAS AND NORTHEASTERN
NICARAGUA...BEYOND CUBA TO THE EAST OF 80W...ACROSS THE
BAHAMAS...INTO THE WESTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH
RUNS FROM 21N35W IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN TO 13N50W...TO 12N64W IN
THE SOUTHEASTERN CORNER OF THE CARIBBEAN SEA...AND TOWARD THE
AREA OF NORTHERN COLOMBIA/NORTHWESTERN VENEZUELA. COMPARATIVELY
DRIER AIR IN WATER VAPOR IMAGERY COVERS MUCH OF THE AREA.
DEEP LAYER MOISTURE AND PRECIPITATION ARE IN THE NORTHWESTERN
CORNER OF THE AREA...WITH THE RIDGE AND THE SURFACE TROUGH.
BROKEN MULTILAYERED CLOUDS AND POSSIBLE PRECIPITATION ARE IN THE
SOUTHEASTERN CORNER OF THE AREA WITH THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH...
TO THE SOUTH OF 15N BETWEEN 54W IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AND 66W.
A SURFACE TROUGH CONTINUES FROM THE FLORIDA KEYS...ACROSS
WESTERN CUBA...TO A 1009 MB LOW PRESSURE CENTER THAT IS NEAR
22N81W. THE SURFACE TROUGH CONTINUES FROM THE LOW CENTER TO
18N83W AND CENTRAL HONDURAS. NUMEROUS STRONG CONVECTIVE
PRECIPITATION IS FROM 17N TO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN SIDE OF CUBA
BETWEEN 78W AND 81W...BETWEEN JAMAICA AND CUBA. THE PRECIPITATION
THAT WAS OCCURRING IN CENTRAL AMERICA DURING THE LATE NIGHT AND
EARLY MORNING HOURS APPEARS TO HAVE DISSIPATED. THE MONSOON
TROUGH IS ALONG 9N76W IN NORTHERN COLOMBIA...TO 9N80W IN
PANAMA...BEYOND 10N84W IN COSTA RICA. THE MONSOON TROUGH
CONTINUES THROUGHOUT CENTRAL AMERICA...FROM COSTA RICA INTO
WESTERN GUATEMALA. WIDELY SCATTERED MODERATE TO ISOLATED STRONG
CONVECTIVE PRECIPITATION IS TO THE SOUTH OF 12N TO THE WEST OF
76W. PLEASE READ THE HIGH SEAS FORECAST...MIAHSFAT2...AND THE
OFFSHORE FORECAST...MIAOFFNT3...FOR SPECIFIC DETAILS ABOUT THE
20 TO 25 KNOT WINDS AND THE 8 TO 9 FOOT SEA HEIGHTS...EITHER TO
THE EAST OF 77W OR TO THE WEST OF 77W.

Seafreight Early Storm in Atlantic/Caribbean a Possibility The 2012 hurricane season might get an early start, with the possibility of a tropical depression or storm in the western Caribbean some time next week, according to a cutting-edge forecast Tuesday by federal scientists. Reporter: Kate Spinner, Sarasota Herald-Tribune

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The 2012 hurricane season might get an early start, with the possibility of a tropical depression or storm in the western Caribbean some time next week, according to a cutting-edge forecast Tuesday by federal scientists.

The Climate Prediction Center predicted moderate chances that a tropical depression or a storm will form in the Caribbean during the last week of May.

Even if no storm develops, the prediction signals that the Atlantic is becoming primed for tropical activity as June 1, the official start of the six-month hurricane season, nears.

"It's something to pay attention to. It might be a little earlier than normal," said Eric Blake, a specialist with the National Hurricane Center.

While the two-week tropical hazard forecasts by the Climate Prediction Center are not very accurate now, meteorologists there are working with the National Hurricane Center to improve them. Within a few years, the two agencies plan to start making a joint two-week forecast, with the hurricane center taking the lead on the first week and the climate center handling the second, said Blake, who gave a presentation about the project at the Governor's Hurricane Conference on Tuesday.

He said the hurricane center began working with the climate center on the two-week outlook shortly after the busy 2005 hurricane season.
"The challenge has really been eliminating the false alarms," Blake said.

The two-week outlook mostly relies on thunderstorm activity around the global tropics to predict where chances are increased for a tropical storm or depression to form. Clusters of thunderstorms occasionally move around the globe in a weather pattern called the Madden-Julian Oscillation or MJO. When the thunderstorms are over the Caribbean and Africa, the chances for tropical storms to develop in the Atlantic increase, Blake said.

But because weather is so variable, forecasts that extend beyond a week tend to have a large margin of error. The five-day forecast for tropical activity, however, is getting much better.

Blake said the hurricane center will experiment this year, in-house, with predicting the formation of tropical storms five days in advance. If the forecasts pan out, weather buffs, fishermen, shipping businesses, emergency planners and those in the oil and gas extraction industries could benefit from those forecasts beginning next year.

 

The 2012 hurricane season for the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean

The 2012 Atlantic hurricane season should be relatively tame with a total of 12 named storms and seven hurricanes

Hurricane Andrew 20th Anniversary web site: Post your photos and stories www.andrew20th.com

Forecasts of hurricane activity are issued before each hurricane season by noted hurricane experts Philip J. Klotzbach, William M. Gray, and their associates at Colorado State University; and separately by NOAA forecasters. CSU’s December 2011 discussion was notable in that the forecasting team announced it would no longer attempt quantitative forecasting nearly six months out, noting …forecasts of the last 20 years have not shown real-time forecast skill. They will, however, release a quantitative forecast for 2012 in April.

Three hurricanes are expected to be « major » with sustained winds of at least 111 miles per hour, with Category 3 or greater status on the Saffir-Simpson intensity scale, Weather Services International (WSI) said in its early pre-season forecast.

The Atlantic hurricane season officially starts on June 1 and ends November 30 and 2011 saw a total of 19 named or tropical storms of which seven became hurricanes, including three major hurricanes.

Irene was the lone hurricane to hit the United States in 2011, but it was first one to do so since Hurricane Ike struck southeast Texas in 2008. Irene was also the most significant tropical cyclone to strike the Northeast since Hurricane Bob in 1991, according to U.S. government forecasters.

In its forecast on Tuesday, WSI chief meteorologist Todd Crawford said the North Atlantic Ocean had cooled to levels unobserved in a decade, fueling hopes for a relatively mild 2012 storm season.

Crawford was also quoted as saying most forecast models suggest an end to the cyclical La Nina weather phenomenon, which fosters hurricane formation.

Crawford stopped short of making any specific predictions about possible hurricane landfalls in 2012, saying there were no strong signals about any threats to the U.S. coastline so far. But he said the energy-rich U.S. Gulf of Mexico and Florida may see some increase in storms. For 2012, our landfall model depicts close-to-normal probabilities of landfall along the U.S. coastline, slightly elevated chances in the Gulf and Florida and slightly reduced chances along the East Coast, he said.

The team predicted:

• A 45 percent chance of an above-average THC and no El Niño development, raising hurricane activity to about 140 percent of the average season, with 12-15 named storms, seven to nine hurricanes, and three to four major hurricanes.
• A 30 percent chance of an above-average THC and a “significant” El Niño, reducing hurricane activity to about 75 percent of the average hurricane season — eight to 11, three to five, and one to two.
• A 15 percent chance of an “unusually strong” THC and no El Niño, bringing activity nearly double the average — 14 to 17, nine to 11, and four to five.
• A 10 percent chance of a weak THC and a a significant El Niño, bringing activity at 40 percent of the average season, or five to seven named storms, two to three hurricanes, and zero to one major hurricane.

Pre-season forecasts

On December 7, 2011, Tropical Storm Risk (TSR), a public consortium that compromises experts on insurance, risk management and seasonal climate forecasting at University College London, issued an extended-range forecast predicting an above-average hurricane season. In its report, TSR noted that tropical cyclone activity could be about 49% above the 1950-2010 average, with 14.1 (±4.2) tropical storms, 6.7 (±3.0) hurricanes, and 3.3 (±1.6) major hurricanes anticipated, and a cumulative ACE index of 117 (±58). On December 21, 2011, Weather Services International (WSI) issued an extended-range forecast predicting a near average hurricane season. In its forecast, WSI noted that a cooler North Atlantic Oscillation not seen in a decade, combined with weakening La Niña, would result in a near average season with 12 named storms, 7 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes. They also predicted a near average probability of a hurricane landfall on the USA coastline, with a slightly elevated chance on the Gulf Coast and a slightly reduced chance along the East Coast.

2012 storm names

The following names will be used for named storms that form in the North Atlantic in 2011 :

Alberto, Beryl, Chris, Debby, Ernesto, Florence, Gordon, Helene, Isaac, Joyce, Kirk, Leslie, Michael, Nadine, Oscar, Patty, Rafael, Sandy, Tony, Valerie, William

Predictions

Named Storms : 12

Named Hurricanes : 7

Named Storm Days : 85

Hurricane Days : 40

Intense Hurricanes : 3

Net Tropical Cyclone Activity : 165

Landfall Probabilities for 2012

For the 2012 season, Klotzbach and Gray expect an active season overall, but with normal intensity for the Atlantic and a normal impact rating on the U.S. coast. In terms of numbers, they forecast 11 named storms, six hurricanes and two intense hurricanes and a more active recent average of 15 named storms, eight hurricanes and four intense hurricanes.

An average Atlantic hurricane season has 12 named storms, 6 hurricanes, and 2 major hurricanes.

Probabilities of the affected territories

These are finally probabilities that certain territories will be affected by an intense hurricane in 2012:

• A 58% chance that at least one major hurricane will make landfall on the U.S. coastline in 2012. The long-term average probability is 52%.
• For the U.S. East Coast, including the Florida Peninsula, the probability of a major hurricane making landfall is 49% (the long-term average is 31%).
• For the Gulf Coast from the Florida Panhandle west to Brownsville, the probability is 48% (the long-term average is 30%).
• The team predicts the probability of a major hurricane making landfall in the Caribbean as 62% (average for the last century is 42%).

Volvo Ocean Race Welcomes Newest Partner Miami Downtown Development Authority The 14-day festival carries a new name for the Miami stopover.

By PR Newswire Article Rating: Select ratingGive it 1/5Give it 2/5Give it 3/5Give it 4/5Give it 5/5 Give it 1/5 Give it 2/5 Give it 3/5 Give it 4/5 Give it 5/5 March 21, 2012 04:58 PM EDT   Related Print Email Feedback Add This Blog This MIAMI, March 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- With only less than two months to go before the Volvo Ocean Race arrives in South Florida, the Miami Downtown Development Authority (Miami DDA) announces their commitment to the 14-day festival scheduled in Bicentennial Park. Taking place from May 6-20, the Volvo Ocean Race will attract more than 200,000 visitors including tourists, locals and sailing enthusiasts alike. As an official Port Sponsor, Miami DDA contributed $50k to the Volvo Ocean Race Miami. The festival, newly renamed Downtown Miami Race Village for its partnership with Miami DDA, will consist of daily activities, international entertainment events, water sports exhibitions, Volvo Ocean Race Academy, the In Port Race, Pro-Am Race, cardboard canoe race, the Antique & Classic Auto and Boat Show, a classic steamboat race, the legacy showcase, food, art, drinks, city-wide events and the Volvo Open 70s- to name a few.   With the combined efforts of the Volvo Ocean Race Miami and Miami DDA, local merchants are being notified to gear up for the tourism influx they will see this May. From restaurants to hotel rooms Downtown Miami will be thriving with pedestrians along Biscayne Boulevard. The official count down has begun to the 24-hour arrival event and 14-day festival in Bicentennial Park to honor and celebrate the six-Volvo Open 70's. The globally recognized Volvo Ocean Race is an extreme sailing event around the world and is widely known as the 'Everest of Sailing.' The worldwide sporting event kicked off from Alicante, Spain on November 5th, and will conclude in Galway, Ireland, in July 2012. The teams are competing across 39,270 nautical miles through some of the world's most treacherous seas. South Florida is the only North American stopover for the race and will host Miami's first ever two weeklong festival. "Miami DDA is a strong partner to have for this event," says Don Poole, president, board of directors, Volvo Ocean Race Miami, Inc. "We know with the local impact of this event that businesses in Downtown Miami will feel the economic boost during a month when tourism usually starts to slow down." "Downtown Miami is a natural backdrop for this event," said Alyce Robertson, executive director of the Miami Downtown Development Authority. "As an international destination with an iconic waterfront setting, the district is already serving as a magnet for tourism and recreation. We are proud to participate as a key sponsor of the Volvo Ocean Race and are excited to have this opportunity to showcase our city's greatest assets." Volvo Ocean Race Downtown Miami Race Village will take place May 6-20 in Bicentennial Park. For information on Volvo Ocean Race Miami or the Downtown Miami Race Village, please visit, www.volvooceanracemiami.org. Like us on Facebook at Volvo Ocean Race Miami and follow us on Twitter @VOR2012Miami. Media Contacts: For media information on the Volvo Ocean Race in Miami, please contact: Rachel Levy Levy Communications 305-592-5389 - O rachel@levyad.com SOURCE Volvo Ocean Race

Haiti: Where did the money go?

March 19th, 2012 | by Isabeau Doucet | Published in All Stories, Bureau Recommends

An estimated 50,000 Haitians set up camp on Port-au-Prince Golf Grounds

After the Caribbean fault lines ripped apart Port-au-Prince, one of the poorest and most densely populated capital cities in the world, over two years ago, Haiti became the recipient of the most generous outpouring of solidarity in the form of disaster relief donations in the history of the United States. One out of every two American households gave a stunning $1.4 billion to a total of 23 major charities, and the international community came together pledging an unprecedented $5 billion – the largest pot of post-disaster reconstruction money ever.

‘People [in Haiti] are very poor, but they’re not stupid. They’re very, very aware that the money was raised with their suffering and their poverty and it’s not being spent on them.’
Linda Polman, journalist and author. 

Here’s the catch: The vast majority of the jackpot was not donated directly to the Haitian people or their elected government, but rather to a proliferation of international NGOs with sophisticated PR apparatuses whose urgent emotional appeals, user friendly donation methods and humanitarian brands made them seem like the natural broker of the emergency aid funds.

The film Haiti: Where did the Money Go? has been aired on dozens of PBS channels across the US, on Capitol hill, in tent camps of Haiti and will today be screened at University of London Union (ULU), tomorrow in Oxford and should be available online in the coming weeks. Though it’s not the most in-depth piece of reporting on post-earthquake accountability in Haiti, and glosses over the country’s complicated history with NGOs, the film’s naiveté does an excellent job of communicating the shocking disparity between the outpouring of money and what’s actually spent on emergency relief for victims of the quake. More importantly, the wide-reach of PBS broadcast has sparked a much-needed debate on the transparency and effectiveness NGOs, which Haiti advocates and the congressional black caucus hope will lead to a congressional inquiry into the work of big NGOs.

A storm of criticism

The American Red Cross and Catholic Relief Service, among those interviewed at length in the film, hit back at PBS criticising the film for “inaccuracies”, “false statements” and “distortions” but their statements have only backfired to reveal how little they actually knew about conditions on the ground.

“We could have been so much harder on the American Red Cross” filmmaker Michele Mitchell told The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, but rather than admitting any regret, says Mitchell “they went nuclear on us.”  They would have been wiser to let the storm of criticism blow over, as their embarrassingly defensive reaction to the film has only confirmed the criticism that they’re more concerned about protecting their brand’s reputation than doing right by the intended beneficiaries of their aid.

During two visits to Haiti ten and twenty months after the earthquake, Mitchell interviews internally displaced camp residents, NGO spokespeople, aid workers, academics and human rights advocates, trying to track down the aid money in the tent camps where as many as 1.5 million displaced Haitians languished at the time.

Viewers accompany her through a visceral journey into a city that looks like it’s been shelled like “Beirut in the 70′s”, a city where the gagging stench of 6 latrines reveals them to be shared by 5,000 camp residents, where people often paid for their tarpaulins and were provided with water that made them sick.

Her first visit coincides with a period when Haiti was facing three full-blown humanitarian emergencies: post-earthquake internal displacement, the outbreak of cholera and hurricane Tomas. Though such simultaneous crises were unprecedented challenges for the UN and NGOs, they had 10 months to prepare for hurricane season and the high possibility of a cholera epidemic, and yet no plans were in place other than instructing camp residents to drop their tents and evacuate to higher ground as the hurricane passed.

Humanitarian code of conduct

There does exists a humanitarian code of conduct for the minimum needs of displaced populations, known as the SPHERE standards, however “there’s no legal requirement” to adhere, says Peter Walker of Tufts University who helped initiate the standard. Nor is there “an industry association that you’re a member of which requires you to deliver to those standard.” The SPHERE was never adhered to in Haiti and accountability often came down to the threat of bad press from journalists.

Haiti was famous for being the republic of NGOs and a graveyard of failed NGO projects even before the earthquake. In the aftermath, at the donor conference in New York where the international community came together to raise money to rebuild, “they swore on the graves of their mothers that this time it would be different” says Linda Polman, Dutch journalist and author whose caustic pen has produced several damning critiques of the NGO “aid caravan”, UN peacekeepers and the relief and reconstruction complex. “People are very poor, but they’re not stupid. They’re very, very aware that the money was raised with their suffering and their poverty and it’s not being spent on them.”

Most aid workers genuinely want to do good, but they also want to have a good time and don’t want to forsake their first world living standards, unfortunately that can look offensive, wasteful, parasitic to the victims on the ground whose tragedy pays their salary.

When asked where the money has gone one resident of an IDP camp says it has gone to “paying for beautiful hotels to sleep in.” The UN themselves say rents have gone up 300%. Mark Schuller, American Anthropologist at CUNY, who has conducted the most definitive field studies of aid in Haiti’s tent camps says “You can call it non-profiteering if you like, you can call it disaster capitalism if you like, but that’s what’s happening right now in Haiti.”

Across the street from a squalid camp where three latrines service an estimated 7, 000 people, fleets of white SUVs line the streets as aid workers and Haiti’s tiny elites frequent a luxury restaurant with an extensive wine menu, tuna tartar, escargot and New York steak at $34. Most aid workers genuinely want to do good, but they also want to have a good time and don’t want to forsake their first world living standards, unfortunately that can look offensive, wasteful, parasitic to the victims on the ground whose tragedy pays their salary.

The films biggest flaws are its over-reliance on American voices to tell of Haiti’s plight, only featuring Haitian voices as victims, while ignoring any Haitian government officials and their critiques of the relief effort.  Limited by the time spent shooting on the ground, the film’s critique of NGOs perhaps doesn’t go far enough, but its mainstream reach is bringing under scrutiny the very important topic of disaster and aid accountability.

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Haiti: Martelly Administration Launches Community-based Decentralization Program

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - The government of President Michel Martelly, working through the Ministry of Interior and local communities, today launched Katye Pam Pose (KPP), an innovative, community-based decentralization program.

Katye Pam Pose (KPP), which is the cornerstone of the Haitian government's National Decentralization Agenda, is focused on improving delivery of government services, as well as fostering development and job creation by promoting strong community involvement.

The overarching objectives of Katye Pam Pose are to bring decision-making closer to the citizen level; promote good governance; boost economic development and job creation; ensure the efficient delivery of public services; promote citizen safety, and accommodate the interests of diverse local interest groups.

According to Haiti's Minister of the Interior, Thierry Mayard-Paul, who will spearhead and coordinate the program nationwide, "Working community by community, Katye Pam Pose will guarantee access to basic social services and citizen safety to our people, which will lead to job creation and development."

Mayard-Paul explained that the launch of Katye Pam Pose will include a pilot program in 10 communities, representing all 10 departments. "That way, we can ensure that we address the specific needs of each community, under an integral and manageable framework, allowing us to make adjustments to enhance the program as it progresses," he said.

The range of actions within KPP include strengthening natural disaster mitigation efforts; improving the delivery of health, housing and education services; recover public spaces, develop local citizen initiatives and creating job opportunities in tandem with the private sector. "In the end, our goal is to improve the quality of life of the Haitian people by enabling safe and prosperous communities, right where they live," he said. "Building the capacity of citizens to manage and maintain KPP programs and infrastructure at the local level is very important to our administration, as is developing culture and sports programs. This is an ambitious decentralization program."

Broadly defined, decentralization is the process by which power and other resources are transferred from the central government to lower governmental levels, such as regions, departments, municipalities, and communal sections. This enables local entities to provide services to their communities and conduct local government tasks. According to Mayard-Paul, advocates believe that decentralization is one of the most effective ways to ensure that local governments are held accountable to the citizens they represent.

Mayard-Paul pointed out that Katye Pam Pose is a community-based program for decentralization modeled on successful experiences in other parts of the world, including Asia, the Americas, Africa, Europe and the United States. "However, it's a community-based model, a new and innovative Haitian approach to decentralization," he added.

"KPP pilot program in each of the 10 selected communities will be based on an in-depth participatory needs assessment diagnosis to ensure program implementation is prioritized by community need," said Mr. Mayard-Paul.

"Assessments will determine the level of impact, the feasibility of implementing each initiative and will make it possible for us to tailor pilot programs to each specific community based on the priorities identified."

The Ministry of the Interior is also identifying and exploring national and international partnerships, that could accelerate deployment of KPP.

"The government of Haiti is committed to the success of Katye Pam Pose," said Minister Mayard-Paul. "In implementing the program, I am committed to carrying out the vision of President Martelly and his administration, driving sustainable development and job creation at the local level."