(Office of the Prime Minister)- The Cabinet of Ministers met on Saturday 03rd July 2021 in an emergency session to continue the assessments of the damage done by Hurricane Elsa which hit the island on Friday 2nd July 2021 bringing with it rain and heavy winds.
Prime Minister Honourable Allen Chastanet visited the hardest hit communities immediately following the passage of the hurricane and toured affected communities around the island on Saturday. The Government has already moved quickly following the passage of Hurricane Elsa on Friday to clear debris and assist those most in need.
Among the agencies providing the Cabinet of Ministers with updates at Saturday’s meeting was the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO), the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Equity and the Ministry of Infrastructure.
NEMO presented an Initial Damage Assessment (IDA) in which one related death was reported in the Fond St Jacques area, as well as severely damaged roofs, damaged wooden structures and an assessment of the impact on utilities such as electricity, water and telecommunications.
In its preliminary assessment the Agriculture Ministry reported that farmers had been very hard hit and that 75 to 80 percent of Saint Lucia’s crops were severely impacted/damaged by Hurricane Elsa.
Prime Minister Chastanet offered condolences to the family of the gentleman from Fond St Jacques who lost his life due to Hurricane Elsa.
“Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with all those affected by the hurricane,” noted Prime Minister Chastanet. “Thankfully, we were spared the full brunt of the system and our meeting is to obtain a full picture from all the government agencies of the damage around the island. I have gotten a first-hand view of some of the most affected areas and all the ministers and parliamentary representatives have also been out in the community assessing the situation.”
The Cabinet of Ministers discussed plans to continue to clean up constituencies, provide assistance to agriculture and other affected sectors.
