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Castries, Saint Lucia –  On the November 15, 2022, the Office of the Prime Minister convened a press conference to update the nation on the scale of the loss and damage associated with the impact of a trough system that affected the northern quadrant of the island on November 6, 2022.

The Saint Lucia Meteorological Services has estimated that between the hours of 11 am to 2 pm on November 6, approximately 157 millimetres or 6.1 inches of rainfall was recorded in Rodney Bay, Gros – Islet and approximately 104 millimetres or 4 inches of rainfall was recorded in Forestierre, Castries.

Flooding and flash flooding, landslides and land slippage associated with the November 6 trough system caused extensive damage to public infrastructure as well as private property including homes and businesses in numerous communities from Forestierre in Castries, to Beausejour in Gros – Islet.

The National Emergency Management Organisation is in the process of conducting a Damage Assessment and Analysis report [DANA]. The DANA report, as of November 14, 2022, indicates that approximately 300 households have been affected by the trough. The ongoing assessment indicates that the total number of affected households will increase.

Most of the affected households indicated that they each lost between 80% – 90% of general household items. Preliminary Loss and damage estimates to residential properties affected by the November 6 trough exceed XCD $1.8 million.

Damage assessments conducted by the Ministry of Infrastructure indicate that eight constituencies incurred varying degrees of loss and damage to public infrastructure. The estimated cost of damage to public infrastructure related to the passage of the November 6 trough currently stands at XCD $854,180.

The Ministry of Education has reported that a total of eight public schools were affected by the November 6 trough. The Dame Pearlette Louisy Primary School sustained extensive infrastructural damage. It has been concluded that the school plant has been severely compromised as a result of flood damage. Approximately XCD $2.4 million is required to undertake reconstruction work to restore the school plant.

A Damage and Loss Assessment [DALA] report was also conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture. The DALA report examined the impact of the November 6 trough on the island’s agricultural, fisheries and forestry subsectors. To date, the loss and damage costings in agriculture regions one and two in the island’s north is estimated at XCD $1.2 million.

The loss and damage assessment on the commercial sector in the affected zones are continuing and will be reported subsequently. Not including the projected losses suffered by the affected businesses, preliminary cost estimates, at present, exceed XCD $6.2 million.

ENDS