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What happened, where and when?
Over the last two months of 2022, as the rainy season peaked, the island of Saint Lucia experienced persistent rainfall contributing to heavily saturated soils. On 6 November, the northern part of the island faced massive flash flooding and landslides caused by torrential rains associated with the passage of an upper-level trough.
The Meteorological Office described the event as “unexpected and isolated” as only communities in the north and Bexon experienced rainfall and flooding. A weather report issued by the Saint Lucia Meteorological Services indicated that up to 42.5mm of rainfall was registered at George FL Charles Airport in Castries, as compared to 5.7mm at the Hewanorra International Airport in Vieux Fort.
As of the writing of this final report, the general population had returned to normal daily routines with the clean-up of homes, clearance of road networks, and restoration of electricity and water.
Scope and Scale
An exceptionally high rainfall of 88.8 mm set a new record on the island, surpassing previous years by an estimated three to four times. The country had already been soaked by heavy rain two weeks prior. The resulting flooding was concentrated in the northern part of the island, affecting 10 communities. Reports received by the Saint Lucia Red Cross (SLRC) indicated that communities in Marc, Bexon, Beausejour, Bois D’orange, Grande-Riviere, Corinth, and Assou Canal had been submerged in deep water causing residents to be trapped in their homes. In response to the significant number of affected individuals, extensive damage, and the high recovery costs, the country elevated its response to Level 2 shortly after conducting initial assessments.
A total of 1,003 households were assessed by government and humanitarian actors including the Saint Lucia Red Cross. The National Society specifically assessed a total of 200 households in the affected areas of Corinth, Bois d’orange, Bexon, Assou Canal, and Marc. The results of the assessments evidenced that families were displaced as well as partial and complete loss of household items including furniture, bedding, sleeping material, clothing, personal documents, and food.
Additionally, roads were made impassable as rivers overflowed their banks and poured onto the main highways and roadways of these communities. Businesses along the highway were also impacted resulting in their closure. Two educational institutions initially remained close to undergo cleaning associated with the flooding for approximately two weeks.
No deaths or injuries were reported.