Millions of dollars required to repair or replace damaged infrastructure

by Linda Straker

• Excessive rainfall caused flooding, landslides and rivers to burst their banks
• For November, Meteorological Office has recorded 235 mm of rain at Point Salines
• Accessing state funds will be easier because of hurricane clause invoked in international agreements

Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said that millions will be required to repair and or replace public infrastructure damaged or demolished by flooding caused by excessive rainfall Grenada has been experiencing since 8 November.

“This will run the Government and taxpayers of Grenada into millions of dollars,” he said during a news conference updating the nation about the ongoing effects of the excessive rainfall, which caused flooding, landslides and rivers to burst their banks.

“The Government is clearly aware of the significant cost, damage and inconvenience that this has caused and will continue to cause. In addition to the ongoing cleanup efforts being undertaken by the Ministry of Infrastructure and the various contractors, cleaning crews and road officers, as well as the Ministry of Mobilisation, Implementation and Transformation. We are also going to have to provide things like housing assistance, clothing, food to families who have been impacted by the flooding,” he said.

For the November period to date, The Meteorological Office at the Maurice Bishop International Airport recorded 235 mm of rain at Point Salines, while data from rain gauges around the country is yet to be tabulated. However, from 8–19 November, there has been excessive rainfall due to a low-level trough affecting the region.

The Prime Minister said that the unforeseen expenditure — which was not budgeted for the 2024 main nor supplementary budget — will require the state to have more expenditure. Accessing state funds will be easier because of the decision made after Hurricane Beryl to suspend the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) and invoke the hurricane clause in international agreements.

“I want to emphasise that for the many who criticise the government for being prudent by suspending and invoking the debt repayment clause, that we could have the necessary liquidity to deal with those situations,” he said, pointing out that assistance will also have to be provided to families affected by the flooding or landslides. “We are going to have to provide assistance to people to help clean up their homes, and in some instances, we are going to, in fact, rebuild or move persons out of the areas in which they are living because of the risk that has now developed from some of the landslides.”

He said, “As a government, we are going to do everything to make sure we have the fiscal space to be able to respond to the various challenges that we face. This is coming at enormous financial challenges to the taxpayers of this country. We are going to spend enormous sums of money, fixing the roads, addressing the bridges, doing both river and sea defences.”

One person has died, and landslides have severely impacted dozens of homes due to rain.