| Fact Sheet Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC October 25, 2005 U.S Government Action to Assist American Citizens in Mexico/Hurricane Wilma ResponseHurricane Wilma caused massive damage in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula this past weekend. The Department of State has actively sought to ensure that U.S. citizens are safe, have access to basic services, and will be able to return to the United States as quickly as possible. Fortunately, to this point we have not yet learned of any deaths or serious injuries to U.S. citizens in Mexico as a result of the hurricane. U.S. ACTIONS: On October 20th the State Department issued a Public Announcement asking Americans in the Yucatan "to consider departing until the storm has passed while commercial flights are still available." Embassy Mexico City established a command center to assist Consulate Merida October 20. Mexico City sent 2 people to Merida to augment staffing October 21. Four additional consular staff from Monterrey and Guadelajara arrived in Merida October 23. A crisis response center of eight consular personnel was established in Cancun Oct 23. Despite extensive damage to the transportation infrastructure, the U.S. currently has 23 officials in Cancun and one consular agent in Cozumel. These individuals are assisting American citizens with transportation to airports. An additional 23 consular employees are in Merida to meet and assist Americans arriving from Cancun to help ensure they get back home safely. On October 24, U.S. consular officers in Cancun worked with local officials and travel companies to arrange the transport of approximately 1,900 Americans by bus from shelters in Cancun to Merida. Today, October 25, U.S. officials will be working throughout the Cancun area to determine the condition of American citizens at area shelters and assist with their transportation to airports. On October 24, six hundred American citizens returned to the U.S. from Merida on four Continental Airlines flights. U.S. consular employees provided assistance, including issuance of transportation letters when travel documents were lost. During the early morning October 25, approximately 1,300 Americans arrived in Merida by bus from Cancun and were taken to shelters near the airport. U.S. consular staff is assisting Americans in contacting their family and with onward transportation to the U.S. Consular officials in Cancun are also helping American citizens in other ways. When alerted to medical emergencies of American citizens in specific shelters, U.S. consular personnel are directing Red Cross ambulances to those locations to ensure the Americans receive proper medical care. When alerted to security problems in the vicinity of shelters with American citizens, our consular personnel have alerted the Mexican authorities to respond. To thwart looting, Cancun police have set up checkpoints throughout the city and imposed a 7pm curfew. AIRPORT CONDITIONS, AIRLINE FLIGHTS Mexican officials said they expect the airport in Cancun, which was heavily damaged, to open for limited, daylight operations on October 25. Return to full operations will take longer, pending the repair of damaged airport equipment. Charter and commercial airlines plan to send aircraft to Cancun once the airport reopens. Charter companies have planned at least 15 flights with a capacity of 2,100 passengers. The airport in Merida is open. Road conditions remain poor, limiting the number of tourists that can be moved from Cancun to Merida. Continental Airlines is planning three flights from Merida on October 25. A mainland ferry successfully reached the island of Cozumel during the late evening on October 24 and will begin transporting people off the island soon. A U.S. consular agent in Cozumel is trying to make contact with the estimated 900 American citizens there. We remain very concerned about conditions in Cozumel, which has no electricity, and are working closely with Mexican authorities to get better access to the Americans stranded there. 2005/983
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