The National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) has partially activated its National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) following intense rainfall from a tropical wave that generated over 150 verified emergency incidents across Saint Vincent.
Presenting Situation Report No. 3, NEMO Acting Director Kenson Stoddard detailed the hydrometeorological metrics of the storm. Over a 24-hour period, national rainfall exceeded 130 mm (5.1 inches), peaking at 159 mm (6 inches) in Majorca. Stoddard highlighted extreme short-term rainfall intensity, noting that Majorca received 59 mm of rain in a single hour—more than half of the total rainfall recorded during the entire month of June (101 mm).
NEMO’s verified incident metrics include:
Total Verified Incidents: 154 reports captured nationwide.
Event Breakdown: 74 severe flooding events, 37 landslides, and 18 retaining wall failures.
Housing Impact: 6 homes completely destroyed, with up to 20 additional homes severely compromised in the Buccament area within the Mesopotamia Valley.
Shelter Demographics: 23 persons displaced, including 11 individuals housed at an official shelter in Kells and 12 residing with host families. (NEMO continues to support an additional 77 shelter occupants from Hurricane Beryl).
Public Infrastructure: 9 health facilities sustained flood impacts. Main water supply systems suffered severe disruptions, though CWSA successfully restored 92% of services after trucking 60,000 gallons of water to affected communities and supplying bottled water to 16 schools.
Stoddard identified Buccament Bay as the primary “ground zero” for structural damage. He noted that while major roadways have been cleared, severe flooding damaged property and library resources at the 7th Day Adventist Primary School in the Marriaqua Valley, while commercial properties between Heritage Square and Edmund Street in Kingstown require business loss evaluations.
Three joint damage assessment teams—combining officers from the Ministry of Transport and Works, Ministry of Housing, Ministry of Social Welfare, and NEMO—have been deployed with preliminary damage costings expected to be compiled early next week, followed by a deeper sectoral impact analysis.
Classifying the event as a Level 1 emergency, Stoddard affirmed that response operations are being funded through national domestic resources. He urged the public to adopt Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) principles by clearing household drains, securing structural roofs, and avoiding improper waste disposal in waterways. NEMO is also initiating an update to the 2006 National Disaster Plan to address shifting climate baselines.
