Business operations return to normal on Friday but school will not reopen until Monday, the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) said Thursday after the tropical storm warning for St. Vincent and the Grenadines was discontinued and the all clear given.
Michelle Forbes, deputy director of NEMO, said Thursday evening that the tropical storm warning for SVG was discontinued at 8 a.m. and the all clear was issued three hours later.
“One person has been confirmed dead and one person, a 68-year-old man of Trigger Ridge was hospitalised and was later discharged,” Forbes said.
Kenron Samuel Elijah Antoine, 16, died Wednesday night when a large boulder pinned him against the outer wall of the house where he and his mother live in Betromy, Layou.
His mother said he had gone outside, against her advice, to make a path for rainwater that had begun to make its way into the house.
“The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment has provided counselling for the family of the deceased young man in Layou,” Forbes said.
Preliminary reports indicate that one person was left homeless and 462 persons — 177 children and 285 adults — were provided with shelter during the passage of the storm.
One house was destroyed and 28 damaged, Forbes said, but noted that assessments are on-going and these numbers are expected to increase.
There were no reports of structural damage to the road network.
The following rivers overflowed their banks: Vermont River, South Rivers, North River, and Spring Village River.
The Roads, Building and General Services Authority (BRAGSA) and the Ministry of Transport and Works commenced the clean-up operations and damage assessment at 2 p.m. Thursday.
The Central Water and Sewerage Authority (CWSA) recorded the following rainfall levels at their stations over the last 24 hours: South Rivers — 242.8 mm (9.5 inches); Dallaway — 269.4 mm (10.5 inches); Jennings — 197mm (8 inches); and Convent — 198 mm (8 inches).
During the period Sept. 28 to 29, SVG experienced severe rains and gusty winds from Tropical Storm Matthew that affected the eastern Caribbean.
The Meteorological Office reported 86 mm (3.4 inches) of rainfall was recorded at the E.T. Joshua Airport over the 24-hour period.
Road clearance operations are continuing and BRAGSA reported that the Windward Highway is passable.
At 6 p.m. Thursday, district hospitals remain functional with adequate staff and supplies, Forbes said.
She, however, reported that the Georgetown hospital was without water due to non-functioning pump and had no power, as the generator was not functioning.
Milton Cato Memorial Hospital in Kingstown, the nation’s name healthcare facility, reported no flooding but minor leaks. The hospital had adequate staff and supplies, Forbes said.
The Stubbs polyclinic reports no problems and all other district hospitals are fully functional.
The CWSA has reported that the country’s water supply was disrupted in all areas except Marriaqua, Layou, Kingstown and Barrouallie.
Some areas were still without water.
Electricity supplier, VINLEC, received minor interruptions to their system and 95 per cent of the country had electricity at the time of Forbes’ report.
The Vermont Police Station, located at Hope Flat, was closed at 9 p.m. on Wednesday as a result of the rising Vermont River, which eventually overflowed its bank downstream — at the Emerald Valley Casino.
Operations continued from the Layou Police Station and at 8 a.m. Thursday, operations at the Vermont Station resumed.
The Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force rescued two persons who were trapped by landslide and swollen river.
Forbes said that NEMO was continuing to coordinate the response to this emergency. The National Emergency Operations Centre is still fully activated. Two trucks and one front-end loader were deployed to La Croix to deal with the clean-up operations. Assessment in the Central Leeward area has commenced. Dipcon is conducting preliminary assessment and clean-up operations in South Leeward. BRAGSA is conducting clean-up operations in the North River area, using a bulldozer and a front-end loader. One bulldozer and a front-end loader were deployed to do the clean up operations in areas from Argyle International Airport to San Souci. Clean-up operations at the E. Joshua Airport are complete and the airport was reopened earlier on Thursday.
“There are no immediate needs,” Forbes said.
Kenton, many thanks for your continuous on-the-ground reporting on the storm without which we in the diaspora would have been left clueless except for some localized news from family and friends back home.