PHOTOS: Christmas Flooding in the Eastern Caribbean · Global Voices
Matthew Hunte

On Christmas Eve several islands in the Eastern Caribbean, including Dominica, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, were affected by a tropical wave that resulted in several hours of rainfall, severe flooding and over a dozen deaths.
Many people were trapped and stranded because they were making last minute preparations for Christmas celebrations.
Saint Lucia, which still bears the scars from Hurricane Tomas in 2010, saw extensive flooding and the destruction of several bridges in the south-west of the island, isolating some communities. At least five deaths were reported, including one police officer who died in the course of a rescue effort.
A section of the Anse Ger Road in Saint Lucia collapsed
Terminal of the Hewanorra International Airport in Vieux Fort, Saint Lucia
In the online group St. Lucians Aiming for Progress, several people, particularly from the diaspora, organized to send relief to those in need. Many questioned the public information (or the lack thereof) relayed by the National Emergency Organization and the Meteorological Office prior to the storm.
Wayne Vitalis was very critical of Saint Lucia's emergency management:
Martinique's Met Office denies radar malfunction; St. Lucia's Met Office denies radar malfunction …….. But some Lucians deny incompetence. The Lord cannot help us with that! NEMO must answer for what they told the nation, not to mention the chaotic/non-response to guiding and coordinating the nation's response to the disaster.
Ananias Verneuil wondered if the fact that the storm came outside of the recognized hurricane season (June to November) could explain the response:
In my opinion this system came after normal hurricane season and therefore it was not considered to be cyclonic. In this regard, we all were caught with our pants down. It was a trough that contained unusual amount of rainfall that could not have been estimated before the down pour.
Minerva Ward sarcastically responded that it was unfair to expect the emergency services to be at work during the Christmas season:
Now I beginning to find yall real rude and outta place to expect NEMO and the Met Office to be working on Christmas Eve! Don't you'll know Christmas week everyting in government shut down. Yall actually expect government employees to be working?? The ppl must have been out on their shopping day you'll deh stressing the ppl with a stupid little upper level trough. Yall really expecting a lot!! So what if the whole country washes out to sea, it's Christmas and u dun know how tings run in St Lucia.
Fred Walcott felt that it would be prudent to find out what happened in the neighboring islands regarding the storm warning:
How did the other islands fare? Did they receive adequate notification? Were they prepared? What, if any, was the impact if they did receive adequate notice? This not an attempt to absolve NEMO or any other agency responsible for alerting the public. With enough notice people in flood prone areas can be persuaded to move to higher ground, companies can elevate their sensitive gear above known flood levels and cover same with damp-proof material. etc, etc. pre- Disaster mitigation procedures can be initiated. Like the island all utilities should have a disaster plan and execute regular disaster drills.
Runway of the Hewanorra International Airport.
The Piaye Bridge in the Southwest of Saint Lucia was washed away.
Part of the Vieux Fort highway,which had been originally been constructed as part of a U.S. base in the 1940s, collapsed
Gas Station in Bexon
House in Bexon
Flood damage in Bexon
Canaries Bridge , part of Saint Lucia's West Coast Highway, was washed away.
While there was flooding in Dominica, the self-proclaimed land of 365 rivers, there has been no report of casualties. However, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has estimated that the rehabilitation works would cost approximately EC$45 million dollars.
Elmshall Bridge in Dominica
Flooding in Roseau, Dominica
Mudslide in Citronnier, Dominica
Streets in Dominica filled with mud,
In St. Vincent, initial reports were that eight people (including children) died as a result of the storm, with some people still being reported as missing. The storm damage was particularly severe in the North Leeward region of the island. According to media reports, the E.T. Joshua Airport and the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital were both surrounded by water. The Grenadines escaped serious damage.
Caratal Bridge in Georgetown, St. Vincent.
Flood damage in Georgetown, St. Vincent.
Flood damage in St. Vincent
House in Rose Bank Where Five People Died.
The photos above are used with the permission of Tamiko Sabrina, Johnson Jkube James, Linus Cauzabon, Natalia Bhajan, and Yukanka Daniel.