sThe National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) said late Tuesday night, Christmas Eve, that it was responding to several reports of flooding along the Vermont river as St. Vincent and the Grenadines continued to be affected by heavy rains.
Director of NEMO, Howie Prince, told I-Witness News around 10:40 p.m. that NEMO’s efforts were being compounded by the absence of a weather report, since the E.T. Joshua Airport, where the Met Office is based, was flooded out.
He said he was not in a position to say what type of weather system was affecting the country until a report is received from the Met official sometime Tuesday night.
Prince said that his office had received several report from Pembroke, including some indicating that some residents were trapped in their homes.
He said NEMO had dispatch rescue teams to the area.
At least one emergency vehicle was seen and heard travelling towards Kingstown from the Pembroke area, but IWN was unable to verify the type of the vehicle or the nature of the emergency, but its siren and emergency lights were on.
Vincentians are passing a stormy Christmas Eve night as the rains that have been affecting the country over the past few days have intensified.
Heavy showers, which continued in various parts of the country, including the Grenadines, intensified as the evening progressed. The rains were later accompanied by thunder and lighting. Frequent flashes of lightning continued even as the rain subsided sometime after 10 p.m. The faint rumbling of thunder could still be heard amidst intermittent but lighter downpours.
Some parts of the country, including in South and Central Leeward, we’re without electricity up to 11 p.m., and drains overflowed in some areas.
As an ex-patriot Vincention, now living on the west coast of Canada, It is nice to get news of SVG. But this is not the kind of news I wanted to hear.
I am wishing for a quick end to the flooding, and hope that there are no fatalities or serious injuries.
Please have as good a Christmas as is possible under these circumstances. Better days are bound to come.
As a vincentian residing here in Canada on hearing this news I sympatised with many families
who suffer during the heavy rain.