THE SITUATION:
Severe rains and high winds due to a Low Level Trough System would have impacted the Participating States of CDEMA’s Central Sub-Region of Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica through Monday 23rd to Wed 25th December, 2013.

 

The synopsis by the Caribbean Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) stated that a small low level trough had moved into the Eastern Caribbean under the influence of a mid to upper level trough. The orientation of the eastern side of the upper level trough had significantly enhanced showers and thunderstorm activity over the states of the Eastern Caribbean.

Between December 23rd and 24th Dominica, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and St. Lucia began reporting heavy showery activity with accumulations over that 12 to 24 hours period recorded at 406 mm in Burton, Saint Lucia, 156 mm in Grenada, and 109 mm in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Having triggered their national disaster management plans, the National Emergency Operations Centers in Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica were activated to coordinate their emergency response operations. Damage and Needs Assessment (DANA) Teams have also been deployed. Preliminary impact assessment and immediate needs have been identified, and more detail damage assessment reports are being formalized.

CDEMA has initiated the Regional Coordination Plan and activated elements of the Regional Response Mechanism; including the Eastern Caribbean Development Partners Group for Disaster Management, the Regional Security System, Pan American Health Organization, The Caribbean Development Bank, and University of the West Indies, et al.

NATIONAL REPORTS AND ACTIONS:


St. Vincent and the Grenadines
The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) in St Vincent and the Grenadines has been actively engaged in the emergency response after the December 24-25 event which resulted in the death of nine (9) persons, three (3) still missing and thirty-seven (37) persons injured. Over five hundred (500) persons affected of which two hundred and thirty seven (237) are provided with emergency shelter.

Preliminary reports from initial assessments of the housing stock reveal that thirty (30) homes were destroyed and a further one hundred and thirty five (135) are listed as damaged. Assessments are on-going and these numbers are expected to increase.

Critical Facilities and Infrastructure
The Ministry of Health with technical support from PAHO conducted an initial damage assessment at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH) which was severely impacted by the flooding. Please click here for Rapid Needs Assessment Report

Reports from the Roads, Building and General Services Authority (BRAGSA) and the Ministry of Transport and Works, indicate that several roads and bridges in the impacted areas have broken, washed away or severely undermined. River defences along most of the rivers have been destroyed. BRAGSA along with the Ministry of Transport and Works are continuing the assessment of the infrastructure.

Fifty percent (50%) of consumers (approximately 50,000 persons) are without pipe borne water and it is expected that by Tuesday (31/12/13) 85% of consumers will have access to water. In total, some 75% of the Country’s supply was disrupted in the space of a few hours. Preliminary estimated cost of full restoration and remedial measures to the affected systems could run into EC$20 million.

Affected Population
The Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has declared a level two (2) Disaster for St. Vincent and the Grenadines. A level two (2) disaster is declared when the damage is severe and for which local resources and response capacity are limited and specialized external assistance is requested.

Disaster areas with a combined impacted population of 13,029 have been declared for:

• The Vermont Valley, all the way down to Buccament Bay (including the villages of Francois, Retreat, Hog Hole, Cane Grove, Penniston and Pembroke). This area has a combined population of approximate 4,684 persons.
• Spring Village, Rose Bank and Dark View on the Leeward Side (including the villages of Petit Bordel, Chateaubelair, Fitz-Hughes, Richmond Vale, Spring Village, Gordon Yard, Cumberland and Troumaka). This area has a combined population of approximately 5,731 persons.
• South Rivers, with a population of 1,213 persons
• O’Brien’s Valley- Georgetown and Spring Village - Georgetown with a population size of 1,401 persons.

EOC Status

• The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) continues to be partially activated with key agencies and volunteers involved in coordinating the response operations.

National Response
The National Emergency Management Organization continues to coordinate the response to this emergency and has circulated six (6) Situation Reports (SITREPS) on the December 24-25 Event. See latest SITREP here.

• Access to all communities has been restored and cleanup operations by BRAGSA and Ministry of Transport and Works continue.
• The Initial Damage Assessment Process using the USAID/OFDA Methodology commenced on Christmas Day on the Leeward Side and is on-going.
• Social Assessments began on Boxing Day in the communities of South Rivers and Buccament followd by Spring Village on Friday. This is being led by the Ministry of National Mobilisation and the Central Planning Division. Assessments will continue Monday.
• The Central Water and Sewage Authority is trucking water into the affected areas and repairs are ongoing on various systems

Immediate Needs
The immediate needs are mainly: hygiene kits, toiletries, mattresses, collapsible water containers, building materials, medical kit & equipment, generators, water tanks etc. See detailed list here (last page).

Saint Lucia
NEMO Saint Lucia has circulated seven (7) Briefing Notes on the “2013 Christmas Trough” to its Cabinet of Ministers and National Emergency Management Advisory Committee (NEMAC). The latest Briefing Note is available here.

On 30th December, 2013 the Prime Minister held a briefing in the morning with the media and in the afternoon with the Diplomatic Corps in order to update them on the impact of the event and the national emergency response activities.

Affected Population:
There are reports of six (6) confirmed deaths related to the weather system. All are males – five (5) were confirmed dead in the south and one (1) in the north.

EOC Status
The National Emergency Operations Centre will remain active until January 3, 2014.

National Response

• All National and District Disaster Committees (DDCs) have been activated.
• Communications links to Soufriere have been re-established.
• Registration of needs of victims by the District Disaster Committees continues.
• The APESL (Engineers Association) provided technical assistance with the DANA exercise. Three teams of Engineers were deployed on December 26th, to assess three key "hot spots" (determined in consultation with the Deputy Chief Engineer, Ministry of Infrastructure):
  • Anse la Raye & Canaries - focusing on flooding in Anse la Raye and Bridge destroyed in Canaries.
    o Micoud - focusing on two culvert crossings destroyed along the East Coast Highway at Volet and Wannier, both in the vicinity of Ti Rocher
    o Vieux Fort and Paiye - focusing on the erosion of a segment of the Old Military (concrete) road segment of the Vieux Fort Highway, and the destroyed Paiye Bridge
• Ministry of Education has commenced assessments with the aim of activating the “Return to Happiness Program” for the children impacted by the disaster. The first assessment has begun in Vieux Fort.
• Distribution continues:
  
  • Water (bottled) to all DDCs for distribution
  • Water (bulk) WASCO is trucking as fast as possible
  • Food
  • Mattresses to Canaries, Anse la Raye, Marc, Vieux Fort and Laborie
  • Hygiene Kits to Soufriere, Marc
  • Clothes and toys to Marc, Canaries and Anse la Raye.
    
    
• The Youth Emergency Action Committee (YEAC) and Saint Lucia Cadet Corps reported for duty at the NEOC.

Donations
NEMO Saint Lucia has applauded the numerous donations from members of the public, corporate donations, regional organizations and from the people and government of Trinidad and Tobago and the people and government of Martinique. See list of donation from Trinidad and Tobago attached in Annex B (Briefing Note # 7).

Immediate Needs
Click here for a detailed list of items that are immediately needed for Saint Lucia which includes medical supplies, emergency kit and equipment, water and water storage and distribution resources.

The Commonwealth of Dominica
The Office of Disaster Management (ODM) in Dominica continues to coordinate the emergency response in the southern part of the island.

Affected Population:
65 households were impacted
185 persons impacted
6 homes destroyed


Critical Facilities and Infrastructure
A number of roads and bridges were damaged as a result of the event.


Preliminary Estimates:
It is estimated that EC $830,000 was required for immediate clean-up.



National Response
Dominica Government agencies were able to respond quickly and adequately to the crisis.
Preliminary sector assessments are being undertaken


Immediate Needs:
The restoration of key infrastructure remains a main concern, and the strengthening of Dominica’s Hydrological /Meteorological capabilities is a priority.

REGIONAL ACTIONS:
The Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) continues to be in contact with the affected states and is coordinating the response and recovery support for St Vincent & the Grenadines, Saint Lucia and Dominica.

Barbados is the Central Sub-regional focal point in the CDEMA system. The government of Barbados is making available a Coast Guard vessel to assist in transporting emergency supplies to St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Saint Lucia. The Barbados Coast Guard Vessel “Trident” is capable of transporting over four (4) tons of cargo at one time.

The government and people of Trinidad and Tobago having provided two containers of relief supplies to Saint Lucia on Friday December 27, 2013, has now pledged to provide similar support to St Vincent & the Grenadines on Tuesday December 31, 2013. Trinidad & Tobago is the Southern Sub-regional focal point in the CDEMA system and is one of the key elements of the Regional Response Mechanism.

Jamaica is the North Western Sub-region focal point in the CDEMA system and is presently in discussions with St Vincent and the Grenadines to see the most appropriate areas for intervention.
A technical fact finding team from the Eastern Caribbean Development Partners Group on Disaster Management (ECDG DM), led by the Executive Director of CDEMA and transported in a Regional Security (RSS) Aircraft, conducted three missions to the impacted states. On Saturday December 28, 2013 the team visited St Vincent and the Grenadines in the morning and Saint Lucia in the afternoon. On Sunday December 29, 2013 the team visited Dominica in the morning. The team comprised eight technical level delegates from CDEMA, Caribbean Institute for Meteorology & Hydrology (CIMH), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Department of Emergency Management, Barbados, RSS and the Caribbean Media Corporation.

During the mission to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the team attended the Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (DANA) meeting which was chaired by Dr Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines. The team was able to get a better understanding of their specific needs and areas for support.

During the mission to Saint Lucia, the team was hosted by the Prime Minister, Dr Kenny Anthony who briefed the team on Saint Lucia’s specific needs and challenges in order to identify avenues where CDEMA, Barbados and the UNDP could assist.

During the mission to Dominica, the team met at the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) with representatives from a number of key agencies and departments including: Ministry of Lands, Housing, Settlements and Water Management; Dominica Meteorological Service; Ministry of Public Works, Energy and Ports; Ministry of national security, Labour and Immigration; Local Government Representative and Ministry of Agriculture. They were able to identify the recovery priorities for Dominica and some of their urgent mitigation works.

Members of the Technical Fact Finding Team reported back to the ECDPG DM on Monday December 30, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. Click here for a detail report on the ECDPG mission visit.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) conducted a Rapid Needs Assessment in St Vincent and the Grenadines (for the Health Sector) on Saturday December 29, 2013 and submitted a report on their findings, priority areas, immediate and recommendations. The estimated damage cost for MiltonCato Memorial Hospital is USD$314,210.85. The complete report is available here for perusal. UNICEF also donated a purification tablets.

The CDEMA CU is assisting the three impacted states in developing proposals to access the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) Emergency Response Grant facility and the Emergency Recovery Loan facility.

CIMH to has agreed to deploy a technical specialist on Tuesday December 31, 2013 to St Vincent & the Grenadines to assist with the assessments of the hydrological and land slide areas.
The University of the West Indies has regional engineers on stand-by awaiting formal requests from the impacted states to deploy in support of the rehabilitation and recovery of bridges, roads etc.

CDEMA will continue to monitor the system and provide updates as necessary.

CONTACT DETAILS: The CDEMA CU 24-hour contact number 1(246) 425-0386