 On Sunday 6th November 2022, the northern part of the island experienced an upper level trough which presented over St Lucia from Friday 4th November. The rainfall between the hours of 11am and 3pm accounted for more than half of the monthly average. The high rainfall intensity resulted in rainwater not being able to be absorbed into the ground but becoming surface runoff. Additionally, persistent rains throughout the rainy season also had ground saturated coupled with the issue of high tide. High tide for castries area was actually at 209pm on that day which meant that the flood waters could not be drained out to sea at a faster rate. Early evidence also indicated that large household appliances which were dumped into rivers and swept by flood waters blocked and undermined bridges and culverts. The heavy rainfall which resulted in severe flooding and landslipage was localized to the north of the island and impacted several households and businesses that lost all their belongings. This resulted in millions of dollars' worth of infrastructural damage. Following the passage of the trough, teams from the Ministry of Infrastructure were dispatched to clear roadways and waterways. Emergency shelters were assessed for their suitability to temporarily house affected people, however these households adopted either to go back to their homes or stay with friends and family. Thankfully, there has been no record of loss of lives. The National Emergency Management Organization, NIMO, distributed drinking water daily to affected households along with emergency food boxes, bedding and sanitizing agents. Additionally, the NIMO has mobilized volunteers to carry out assessments in the affected areas to compile a comprehensive report of the damages sustained to businesses and households. Technical teams from the Ministry of Infrastructure continue to clear waterways and road networks in affected areas. Technical teams from the various ministries are also carrying out assessments in schools, roads, bridges and utility infrastructure, agriculture and forestry and waterways. Preliminary assessments indicate that we have moved from a level 1 disaster to a level 2 disaster as of Thursday 10th November. Just note that there are 4 levels of disasters. The extent of losses experienced not only by households but also by businesses, schools and infrastructure has caused a heightened need for the coordination of emergency relief response. Once the situation has been stabilized and people's basic needs are being met, the planning and rebuilding phase will commence. As of Thursday 10th November 2022, the Prime Minister, Hon. Philip J. Pierre, activated $200,000 worth of food and sanitizing vouchers to be distributed to affected households through the National Emergency Organization, NIMO, and constituency offices which have had affected residents. The Prime Minister has also been in dialogue with international donor agencies as saying Lucia will require both technical and financial assistance to respond to this crisis. The Ministry of Health, particularly the Department of Environmental Health, has been on the ground educating and assisting residents with the proper burial and disposal practices for the cacuses of dead animals. Some hotels also record a spoilage of food items due to the severe flooding and are coordinating with the Department of Environmental Health to adequately dispose of these items. The floodwaters may be highly contaminated by sewage and other toxic pollutants. Land slippages and floodings may have resulted in the moving and destruction of septic tanks, which resulted in runoffs of waste material which can pose an environmental health threat. Therefore, proper management of water, food safety and the use of cleaning and disinfecting products are highly recommended to reduce the occurrence of vector and waterborne diseases. The government has also activated post-struff mental health and psychological first aid to the public, particularly to the residents of Bexel and Grosley, via wellness centres by walk-ins and telephone. Two schools were affected and closed by the Ministry of Education as a result of Sunday's trough. The current secondary school was able to resume in-person classes shortly after. However, the Dane-Pollet-Louisey School remained closed for the week. Remote learning was employed as a temporary mode of instruction for the week to allow for the assessments and cleaning of the school compound. The Ministry has indicated that face-to-face learning will resume for Grade 2 to Grade 6 from Monday 14th November, while kindergarten and grade 1s will continue remote learning to allow for the cleanup and repair of the affected classrooms. Two hotels experienced major flooding during the trough and have been working with various government agencies to address the damages. A comprehensive update from the St. Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Association has been compiled and will inform the losses and way forward for the affected hotels, staff and operators which were also affected. As of Monday 7th November at 9am, Lucillac reported that 99% of its systems were back online. Crews were deployed to Barbano and Barata, where poles had fallen as a result of land slippages. The Union Power Station has been decommissioned as a result of the 6 feet of water flooding and downed fences. Wasco has reported significant damage to its catchment areas and water lines as a result of the trough. To preserve the quality of water, some catchments have been closed off and will undergo repairs to provide safe pipe-borne water to residents. To alleviate these issues, Wasco has deployed water trucks to affected areas to assist with cleaning and sanitization. NEMA will also deploy water trucks to assist affected households with their requirements. Prime Minister and the Cabinet of Ministers wishes to thank the Cadet Corps who have been assisting with relief and recovery efforts since Sunday. To the staff and volunteers of NEMA, we thank you for your dedicated service. To the Youth Empowerment Action Committee, thank you for your service as you continue to volunteer daily at the NEMA. The staff of the various ministries and other organizations which have assisted in our preliminary relief efforts, you have our commendation and support, especially during this period. The task before us will require financial resources, volunteers, donations, coordination, patience and empathy. Many families and businesses have lost a lifetime of investments and will have to start over. Therefore, we are appealing to the public to assist in the relief efforts by contributing financially via the following. First National Bank 6-0-0-2-7-6-0 Republic Bank 2-0-0-2-8-1-7 Bank of St. Lucia 9-0-1-3-0-0-1-3-6 First Caribbean International Bank 1-0-6-9-6-2-1-7-0 To become a NEMA volunteer, offer assistance with basic relief to affected households. Please contact them at 452-3802. 452-3802. Thank you and may God bless us all.